John Herbst: The US is against the federalization of Ukraine
Former US Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst said that Washington will not agree to the federalization of Ukraine as a resolution for the situation in the Donbas, Rosbalt reported.
The federalization of Ukraine is Russia’s proposed solution to the war in the former Soviet republic.
"Our administration has repeatedly stated that there is no connection between our diplomacy on Syria and our diplomacy with regard to Ukraine. I believe them," the former ambassador said to the TV channel Inter when asked about the possibility of federalizing Ukraine.
The US believes that Ukraine should have full sovereignty and the ability to maintain its territorial integrity in the Donbas and the Crimea, and Russia should give the two regions back "without conditions", Herbst stressed.
According to him, "The US efforts cannot be considered sufficient yet, but the role of US President Barack Obama on the issue of sanctions against Russia is positive."
Earlier, US Secretary of State John Kerry, after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that Washington wants to preserve the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"The US is focused on the protection of sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including the Crimea. Our position is very clear. The Minsk Agreements must be immediately and fully implemented. We have discussed a full ceasefire and how to better engage the observers and the OSCE. We also discussed how to hold elections in the Donbass – these are all key steps," Kerry stated.