Secretary of State @JohnKerry Press Availability at @NATO – https://t.co/WaZ8KcKIR2 pic.twitter.com/SlNaU6STVA
— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) December 2, 2015
Secretary of State John Kerry Press Availability at NATO, December 2, 2015
Now, it is no secret that NATO faces a series of security challenges from all directions – from the Syrian civil war and the influx of migrants, refugees; to the vile threat that is posed by Daesh, which has been more immediate in this city, in Paris, and in other places; to the still unsettled conflict in Ukraine. So as a result, NATO has to be able to respond to each of these dangers and to more, which is why it matters so much that our alliance continues to speak with a single voice.
On Ukraine, I reinforced President Obama’s call at the G20 summit for Russia to fully implement the Minsk commitments, including the withdrawal of heavy weapons, elections in Donbass under Ukraine’s constitution and under the monitoring of the OSCE, removal of all foreign fighters, release of hostages, and restoration of Ukrainian control over its side of the international border. It is very clear – and President Obama made this very clear to President Putin in our personal meeting with him in Paris just two days ago – that if Moscow wants relief from sanctions, as we have said previously, it’s there for the getting if you simply live up to the promises that have been made. Implement Minsk and this can be achieved.
And we hope Russia will complete its mission that it has agreed to under the Minsk agreement of fully performing its restoration of the full sovereignty of Ukraine, recognition for the border – the international border – and help the separate – not help the separatists – use all of their obvious influence and capacity to get the separatists to do what is necessary to withdraw the heavy equipment, allow the OSCE to come in, and simply monitor a ceasefire and try to help build security for the entire region.
