Biden in Ukraine to Show Support as Tensions Rise

[jakeXT]

Source: Associated Press

Vice President Joe Biden on Monday launched a high-profile visit to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to Ukraine and push for urgent implementation of an international agreement aimed at de-escalating tensions even as violence continues.

Biden planned to meet Tuesday with government leaders who took over after pro-Russia Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February following months of protests. The White House said President Barack Obama and Biden agreed he should make the two-day visit to the capital city to send a high-level signal of support for reform efforts being pushed the new government.

Biden has scheduled a series of meetings Tuesday, including with Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Oleksandr Turchynov, the acting Ukrainian prime minister and president. He also is scheduled to meet with legislators from across the country and democracy activists before returning to Washington Tuesday night.

A senior administration official told reporters onboard Air Force Two en route to Kiev that Biden plans to announce new technical support to the Ukrainian government to implement energy and economic reforms. The official, speaking on a condition of anonymity to allow Biden to publicly announce any agreements, said the vice president also will follow up on recent U.S. commitments of non-lethal security assistance and discuss what more Washington can offer to help.



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/biden-heads-ukraine-tensions-rise-23403222

[JayhawkSD]

1. Just out of curiosity

"Biden planned to meet Tuesday with government leaders who took over after pro-Russia Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February following months of protests."

Why is our government meeting with and giving legitimacy to people who appointed themselves to office after the elected government was physically thrown out by armed masked men who stormed government buildings? Regardless of any ideology, or what Putin may or may not have done, they stormed the government by force of arms, using lethal weaponry, and physically deposed an elected government. How does that possibly make them a legitimate government?

Just as a point of contrast, Hamas was properly elected to govern Gaza, and we refuse to even talk to them because "the United States does not negotiate with terrorists," even when they are elected to goverm in an election which we supervised.

[jakeXT]

2. 'One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter' as they say, sometimes it's even both /nt

[JayhawkSD]

3. Cute, but it doesn't answer my questuion.

I guess that's the best we can do with American foreign policy, is make trite humorous quips.

[okaawhatever]

5. They didn't appoint themselves to office. A majority of Rada (elected in 2012 or before) approved

the current interim gov't. The elected gov't wasn't physically thrown out by armed masked men. That is complete and utter bullshit and quite frankly, not worth of DU. Yanukovych snuck away in the night leaving the buildings empty hoping people would ransack them. I've seen tapes and yes people went in but they didn't trash the buildings.

Everything else you said is b.s. so it isn't worthy of being addressed.

[bob27]

6. Good old Handsome Joe.

His hair plugs finally look natural. It took a long time, and I think he probably had some micro-implants to complete the task, but he looks good now. Despite all the kidding he took, I'll bet he's glad he had it done.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. That elected president fled the country on his own terms.

He essentially abandoned his office.

The Rada appointed the interim government until elections for a permanent government could be held in May.

It's as simple as that.

Stop spinning otherwise.

[Catherina]

4. And meeting with a Tatar leader Dzhemilov, one of the last cards we have left to play

Until he attempts to return to Crimea, Dzhemilov will meet with U.S. vice President Joe Biden and the head of Bank of America in Kyiv before traveling to Almaty to participate in the Eurasian Forum, which will focus on Ukraine.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/tatar-leader-banned-from-entering-crimea-344577.html

Dzhemilov is the same yahoo who was urging NATO to intervene.