“…With regard to the single sentence about the need for the law that’s already been passed by the Rada on special status [for parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions] – as you know, that’s a direct quote from the Minsk agreement, which was signed by Ukraine in the hope of having peace and having the restoration of its territory in eastern Ukraine. So the hope is, having fulfilled Ukraine’s obligation under the Minsk agreement to include this, this will now be answered by responding steps by those responsible in Donetsk and Luhansk, and those who support them in Moscow. So it puts you in the strongest possible position to say your obligations are being met, what about the other side.”

“…288 out of 300 plus deputies voted for this, so it was a very strong mandate for – first and foremost – decentralization of the country, which public opinion polls show is second only to countering corruption in terms of what the people of Ukraine are asking for – whether they live in Lviv or Donetsk. So this was an important step to de-Sovietize, de-oligarchize the country – to liberate Ukraine from the structures of the past and bring it closer to Europe. Did we want to see Ukraine meet its obligations that it took in Minsk by including this sentence as it agreed to do? Of course. But the reason that we wanted to see that happen was so there would be no excuses on the other side for renewed violence. No excuses to break the agreement. That Ukraine is doing its job. Now it is up to the other side to do its job.”

– U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, responding to two journalists’ questions on July 16 in Kyiv at a “press availability.