VOA常速英语:Ukraine Forms New Government

The United States welcomes Ukraine’s announcement that it has formed a new government. “This sets the stage for the difficult but necessary process of implementing reforms and delivering results,” said Vice President Joe Biden.

The United States will support Ukraine’s new government to stabilize its economy, strengthen democratic institutions, and fight corruption.

The U.S. will also continue to stand for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression. Since the September 5th Minsk ceasefire agreement, said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at NATO headquarters, “Russia has funneled several hundred pieces of military equipment and material – including tanks, armored personnel carriers, and heavy artillery pieces – directly to pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine”:

“Russian military forces still operate in eastern Ukraine, where they provide command-and-control support for the separatists. Russia, and the separatists it backs, obviously could make a very different choice here, and they could come to the table and they could fully implement the Minsk agreements.”

NATO also expressed its concern over Russian aggression in Ukraine. In a joint statement, the NATO-Ukraine Commission “strongly condemn[ed] Russia’s continued and deliberate destabilization of eastern Ukraine in breach of international law, including the provision of tanks, advanced air defense systems and other heavy weapons to the separatists, and military activities which violate the agreements reached in Minsk in September.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that “in the face of Russia’s continued and deliberate destabilization of Ukraine, NATO will continue to show firm political support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. This includes enhanced defense and security support from NATO members so that Ukraine can better defend itself.

The United States and its allies continue to stand with the Ukrainian people as they pursue democracy, peace, prosperity, and independence, free from any outside interference.