Biden to visit Kiev as tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalate

The White House said in a statement issued on Saturday that Biden, who will be in Kiev on April 22, “will underscore the United States’ strong support for a united, democratic Ukraine that makes its own choices about its future path.”
 
The vice president will also offer Washington’s help to Ukraine in its efforts aimed at constitutional reform, decentralization, anti-corruption, and free and fair presidential elections set for May 25, according to the statement.
 
On Saturday, a large number of armed men seized government buildings in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the Russian border, and authorities in Kiev called it an "act of aggression by Russia."
 
The White House condemned the "orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage," saying that Biden would discuss the issue during his visit.
 
"The vice president will discuss the latest developments in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists, apparently with the support of Moscow, continue an orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage to destabilize the Ukrainian state," it said.
 
"The vice president will also meet with various Ukrainian people to hear their aspirations and deepen the partnership between the United States and Ukraine," the statement added.