Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Dr. Karen Donfried returns from her trip to Kyiv, Moscow, and Brussels. During these meetings, she had a frank and straightforward discussion with her Russian counterparts. She expressed strong concern regarding Russia’s military buildup, reinforced our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and also emphasized that any further Russian aggression against Ukraine would result in severe consequences.
This trip was productive and an important opportunity to reaffirm our commitments to Ukraine, encourage Russia to de-escalate and pursue the diplomatic path, and closely coordinate with our NATO Allies and EU partners, the U.S. Department of State said.
While in Kyiv, Assistant Secretary Donfried met with the Head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and Deputy Head of Delegation for Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group Andriy Kostin. Dr. Donfried reaffirmed the United States’ support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and she also reconfirmed President Biden’s commitment to the principle of no decisions or discussions about Ukraine without Ukraine.
In Moscow, Dr. Donfried met with Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration Dmitry Kozak and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. During these meetings, she had a frank and straightforward discussion with Russian counterparts. She expressed strong concern regarding Russia’s military buildup, reinforced our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and also emphasized that any further Russian aggression against Ukraine would result in severe consequences. She underscored President Biden’s commitment to finding a diplomatic path to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, including through implementation of the Minsk agreements and support of the Normandy format.
Finally, Assistant Secretary Donfried concluded the trip in Brussels, where she consulted with our NATO Allies and EU partners. She provided a readout of her meetings, consulted with them on next steps, and also reaffirmed our commitment to close coordination. She noted that our unity with allies and partners is our greatest strength and that we will not make any decisions related to their security without them.
