Kyiv received warning from Washington after strikes on Russian port

Ukraine has received a formal diplomatic note from the US State Department after its strikes on the Russian port of Novorossiysk affected American economic interests in Kazakhstan. Most of Kazakhstan’s oil exports pass through the port.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, stressed that Washington had not urged Kyiv to cease attacks on Russian energy or military infrastructure, but had drawn attention to the protection of American economic interests.

She added that the incident demonstrated that Ukraine had failed to build sufficiently robust economic ties with the United States during three decades of independence. She now intends to deepen those links, arguing that long-term American investment would constitute one of the strongest security guarantees.

Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Geneva have yielded no progress. Stefanishyna, however, rejected claims that Kyiv feels abandoned by Washington and called on Congress to adopt new sanctions against Russia.

(reuters, mja)