(15.01.) I am pleased to provide additional context from my Bureau, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor which, in partnership with the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, our Embassy in Kyiv, the Department of Justice and with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has been in direct and frequent engagement during the past three years with the Government of Ukraine and Ukrainian civil society in bilateral dialogues on democracy and rule of law issues.

As my colleague Assistant Secretary Nuland noted these are indeed challenging times for the people of Ukraine and for people everywhere who care about the future of Ukraine. Many of us continue to monitor the ongoing developments in the center of Kyiv on the “EuroMaidan” and in other cities across Ukraine that have come to symbolize a fundamental struggle for economic opportunity, political freedom, and personal expression. (..)

Senators McCain and Murphy have shared their experiences in the days after they returned from their December 15 visit to Kyiv, which they described as “unforgettable and moving,” standing on the stage overlooking the Maidan and addressing a crowd estimated at 500,000 – some of whom shouted cheers of “Thank you, USA!”