KIEV, August 9 (RIA Novosti) - President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in a telephone conversation with the US Vice-President Joseph Biden offered the United States to join the Ukrainian and international humanitarian mission to Luhansk, under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the website of the Ukrainian president said Saturday.
“In a telephone conversation with the US Vice-President the Ukrainian president announced his initiative to provide Ukraine’s and attract international humanitarian aid to Lugansk under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross and offered the United States to join the mission,” the statement on the website of the Ukrainian president said.
The statement also noted that Biden supported Ukraine's efforts to establish humanitarian assistance in strict compliance with the international law and the laws of Ukraine: the mission should take place without foreign military support, come through controlled Ukrainian border crossing points in a multilateral format, including the participation of the United States.
On August 7, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko during a phone talk thanked US Vice President Joe Biden for America’s consistent support to Ukraine.
The sides discussed a wide range of cooperation issues in political, economic and military areas, as well as coordinated their efforts to fight the challenges facing Ukraine.
In mid-April, Kiev launched a military crackdown on independence supporters in eastern Ukraine. According to a UN report released in late July, the conflict has claimed the lives of 1,129 civilians, with another 3,442 injured.
Russia is currently sheltering over 730,000 people who have fled Ukraine since the start of the conflict between government forces and independence supporters.
