…The United States recognizes that the war in Ukraine in which people are still dying every day must come to an end. We have repeatedly urged Russia to begin the path to peace by honoring its commitments under the Minsk agreements. Any resolution of the war that does not entail a fully independent, sovereign and territorially whole Ukraine is unacceptable. Russia chose to violate the sovereignty of the largest country in Europe. The United States and Europe have stood shoulder-to-shoulder since 2014 in confronting this Russian aggression with a coordinated sanctions policy. Our trans-Atlantic unity is meant to convey to the Russian government that we will not stand for this flagrant violation of international norms. We hope Russia will take steps to restore Ukraine’s full sovereignty and territorial integrity and fully implement its Minsk commitments, allowing us to begin then the process of restoring normal relations. But let me be clear, Minsk-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia reverses the actions that triggered them.
We are committed to the success of an independent and whole Ukraine. However, Ukraine’s future depends also on winning its internal struggle to implement a broad range of economic, justice, security and social sector reforms. We encourage Ukraine to continue building capable, trustworthy institutions that will reduce and eventually eliminate corruption, strengthen their judicial system and deliver economic prosperity to their citizens. …
– U.S. Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, speaking at The Wilson Center in Washington on November 28.
…We have been clear with Russia that we cannot return to business as usual in the NATO-Russia relations, as long as Russia continues its illegal occupation of Ukraine. …Russia’s aggression in Ukraine remains the biggest threat to European security, and demands continued trans-Atlantic unity in confronting that threat. Our NATO allies stand firm in our support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and their territorial integrity. We do not accept Russia’s efforts to change the internationally-recognized borders of Ukraine or recognize Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea. …
With respect to dialogue with Russia, we had a lot of discussion during this NATO meeting, and in particular around dinner last night, over what is the proper engagement with Russia. And I think there is broad consensus among all the NATO members that there is no normalization of dialogue with Russia today. …
Having dialogue just to be talking and trying to regularize or renormalize this relationship cannot be undertaken until some of these actions that I’ve addressed – in particular Ukraine, hybrid warfare – until Russia begins to address those actions which we find not just unacceptable but intolerable.
– U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaking on December 6 at a press conference following a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels.
…Of all the challenges confronting the OSCE today, none is more important or vexing than the situation in Ukraine. The United States is committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. We call for full implementation of the Minsk agreements. We will never accept Russia’s occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea. Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns full control of the peninsula to Ukraine.
In eastern Ukraine, we join our European partners in maintaining sanctions until Russia withdraws its forces from the Donbas and meets its Minsk commitments. While Ukraine is taking steps to abide by these agreements – and it must continue to do so – Russia is not. More civilians were killed in 2017 than in 2016. In November, ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk were up 60 percent.
We should be clear about the source of this violence: Russia is arming, leading, training and fighting alongside anti-government forces. We call on Russia and its proxies to end its harassment, intimidation and its attacks on the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. We honor the sacrifice of Joseph Stone, an American paramedic killed in April while on patrol, and commend the bravery and commitment of the SMM monitors serving in the field today. …
Whether it is ending the crisis in Ukraine, fighting terrorism, promoting human rights, or resolving longstanding conflicts, the OSCE is an important platform for addressing these challenges. The United States will continue its strong support for the OSCE and will reject efforts to weaken any of its institutions or its field missions. …
– U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaking on December 7 at the Ministerial Plenary Session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting in Vienna.