U.S. Secretary of State, at the urging of Russian President Vladimir Putin to fill the position, appointed former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Kurt Volker, to help solve the crisis in East Ukraine and implement the Minsk agreements.
“At the request of President (Vladimir) Putin, the United States has appointed … a special representative for Ukraine, Ambassador Kurt Volker,” Tillerson told reporters after a meeting between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, reported Reuters.
Volker will fly to Kyiv with Tillerson after the G20 meeting on Sunday. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko welcomed the decision. “Important & timely move in the interests of ending Russian aggression and restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, including Crimea,” he declared.
“Kurt’s wealth of experience makes him uniquely qualified to move this conflict in the direction of peace,” Tillerson said in a statement. “The United States remains fully committed to the objectives of the Minsk agreements, and I have complete confidence in Kurt to continue our efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine.”
