KYIV – On July 30, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt and U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Daniel Baer were joined by interagency colleagues on a visit to Kramatorsk and Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine. In both cities – which were liberated by Ukrainian forces after being occupied by Russian-separatist forces last summer – they met with the mayor and other senior local officials to discuss a range of issues, including humanitarian assistance, challenges faced by internally displaced persons (IDPs) and upcoming local elections.
In a meeting with the deputy commander of Ukraine’s Anti-Terrorist Operation at the ATO headquarters in Kramatorsk, senior Ukrainian military leaders emphasized the importance of ensuring humanitarian assistance is able to reach those in need in conflict-affected areas on both sides of the line of contact. ATO leaders also reaffirmed their appreciation for the work of the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and their support for ensuring the safety of monitors as they do their work.
In a meeting with the governor of Donetsk oblast, Pavlo Zhebrivsky, Ambassador Pyatt offered strong support for efforts to establish humanitarian “logistics centers” at accessible areas along the line of contact where Ukrainians living in separatist-controlled areas can cross to gain efficient access to banks, food, medicine, and social payments.
The ambassadors also met with several groups of IDPs, as well as local residents whose homes had been destroyed in the fighting. The ambassadors heard first-hand from IDPs about the challenges they face, and their ongoing concern for family members who remain in separatist-controlled areas.
(U.S. Embassy Kyiv)