U.S. to give $16m of humanitarian aid to Ukraine as crisis deepens

The U.S. has given $16.4m in aid to Ukraine, as the nation’s humanitarian crisis deepens on the frontline of the conflict. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, has visited Kiev and condemned “Russia’s continued aggression in the east”. During a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Kerry warned the U.S. would not “close our eyes” to Russian tanks and fighters crossing the border. No mention was made of military aid to Ukraine, which Russia has warned would pose a danger to its national security.

Given the escalation of violence in the past days, the chancellor and President Hollande are intensifying their months-long efforts for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Steffen Seibert, Angela Merkel’s spokesman

Meanwhile, Britain has confirmed it will make thousands of troops available in the Baltic at short notice should a new crisis arise. The move is designed to allies who fear they could become targets of Russia’s aggression. Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande are travelling to Kiev and Moscow with a new peace initiative, amid a flurry of diplomacy to end what has been described as “a war on Europe’s edge”. The German Chancellor and French President’s proposal is “based on the territorial integrity of Ukraine”. A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said Vladimir Putin was ready to hold constructive talks with the European leaders, and that Russia “will do everything it can” to help resolve the crisis in Ukraine.

World Ukraine war