U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State: Biden–Zelensky phone call has to be backed up by actions

25.03.2021 17:37

Ukrinform

The United States wants Ukraine to succeed through efficient reforms, so the expected phone conversation between the presidents of the United States and Ukraine, while taken as a symbol, has to be backed up by actions.

George Kent, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, said this in an interview with VOA’s Ukraine service on March 24.

He recalled that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said two months ago that the United States was ready to support Ukraine in defending against aggression from Russia, as well as in overcoming challenges from within. According to Kent, President Biden's administration prioritizes the fight against corruption and helps democracies thrive.

“We believe democracies are best placed to address the challenges of the 21st century, and this issue is something that is shared by Ukrainians and Americans. And so I think the needs are clear. The expectations of Ukrainians and Americans are clear. Reform efforts need to continue and deepen. The justice sector is absolutely essential. How Ukrainian authorities get out of the constitutional crisis created by the constitutional court undermining reversing changes that were made is a real challenge for Ukrainians,” Kent said.

He assured that the US was ready to support Ukraine as a partner. “But to be very clear, any legislation that rolls back the independence of organizations, whether it's the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, NBU, or the central bank, does not help Ukraine and that will make it very difficult for international partners, whether it's the IMF or the United States, to continue to be as supportive of efforts when they are not leading to reform the change that Ukraine needs,” the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State said.

Commenting on the issue of establishing trust between the leaders of the United States and Ukraine and the importance of establishing contact, Kent noted that trust is very important in any relationship both within the country and between the countries.

“I think President Biden established an excellent record when he was vice president of reaching out and trying to establish that trust with Ukrainian counterparts. Trust is a two-way street, obviously, and I anticipate that there will be a call between our leaders in the near future. But I believe it's also important to understand that a call, while taken as a symbol, has to be backed up by actions and the issues that we were discussing, the issues that are on the U.S.-Ukraine agenda. We want Ukraine to succeed. That means we want the government and President Zelensky to succeed. But for that success, there need to be the right actions and the right reforms,” the diplomat stressed.

As reported, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba had his first telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on February 2.