Geoffrey Pyatt: It will be difficult for the new US President to support Ukraine if there is political chaos
Any new U.S. President who comes to power after the elections will support Ukraine if Ukraine demonstrates progress in reforms and stops the slide into political chaos, the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, stated in a speech before the students of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy on Friday.
"If Ukraine continues to move forward, I have no doubt about the position of the next U.S. President, whether he or she is to adhere to the commitments made by President Obama. On the other hand, if political (Ukrainian - ed.) leaders continue the political chaos it will be much more difficult to provide continued support. It's a tough reality," the American diplomat noted.
Pyatt added that the recognition of Ukraine in the global scenario today is more vital now than ever before. The Ambassador recalled how the head of one of the parliamentary fractions, after a recent visit to Brussels, shared the biggest impression from this trip, namely how small he felt Ukraine was, when he was in Brussels and looked at everything that was happening around the world.
"This is an important lesson and it consists of two parts. On the one hand, Ukraine has never received so much international attention and support as in the past two years. All people were aware of what you were going through. It was an inspiring story of the Maidan. However, there were also impressive events when Russia invaded and tried to rip your country," the Ambassador said.
"On the other hand, a lot of things are going on in the world - from Syria and refugees to questions about stability in Asia. So, it is really very important for Ukraine and for Ukrainian political leaders to demonstrate that they will continue to move forward and that the country achieves progress," Pyatt added.