By John Batchelor
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) shakes hands with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (R) during a meeting on Feb. 11, 2015 in Minsk.
Over the last several weeks, (click here) the 15-month-old Ukraine crisis took fresh steps toward resolution in a series of teleconference calls by the Normandy Four - the heads of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine.
Beginning July 10, French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko and Ukrainian parliament chairman Volodymyr Hroisman to comply with all the terms of the February 2015 Minsk 2 agreement....
There is no going back for Ukraine. The challenge to restructure it's debt is all part of the new sovereign authority of the people. It will happen.
August 5, 2015
By Nathan Sheets, Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs
Although the ongoing conflict in Ukraine's east (click here) has caught the world's attention, no less important for Ukraine's future are the transformative and unprecedented reforms being undertaken by the government in Kiev, as it seeks to arrest the country's economic crisis and lay the foundation for long-term growth....
...While entrenched interests in Ukraine — often masked as populist benefactors of the people — continue to push against this transformation, the ethos of reform has begun to permeate Ukraine's government and society. For this movement to fully take root, Ukraine's top leaders must show continued courage and willingness to address corruption. Ukraine's parliamentarians must be disciplined, united, and focused on the country's long-term interests. And the Ukrainian people must continue to support the country's ambitious reform agenda....
