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US sees Ukraine as citadel of confrontation on border with Russia — politician

Viktor Medvedchuk believes that this is the real condition on which the United States provides support to Kiev, while conflict settlement in the east of Ukraine is missing from Washington’s list of priorities

KIEV, May 3. /TASS/. US support for Ukraine is geared to turning the country into a stronghold of confrontation on the border with Russia, the head of the political council of the Opposition Platform - For Life party, Viktor Medvedchuk, said on Tuesday.

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Moscow sees Zelensky’s statements as Ukraine ‘officially’ reneging on Minsk deal

"The world leaders who supported [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky made the right choice. But in this chorus of support the United States sets the tune. It wants Ukraine to be a stronghold of confrontation on the border with Russia that benefits US interests above all," Medvedchuk tweeted on Tuesday.

He believes that this is the real condition on which the United States provides support to Kiev, while conflict settlement in the east of Ukraine is missing from Washington’s list of priorities.

"They do not wish to see peace in Donbass at all," Medvedchuk said.

In recent weeks, Western countries voiced their support for Kiev against the background of repeated claims by Ukrainian military officials that Russia was building up forces along the border. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said troop movements inside Russia should not worry other countries, because they posed no threat to them whatsoever. The European Parliament last week voted for a resolution on Russia containing calls for sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project and "Russian oligarchs" and also for disconnecting Russia from the SWIFT international payment system in case of an "invasion of Ukraine." The resolution has the status of a recommendation and is not mandatory for any EU institutions.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Senate-approved Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland will visit Kiev on Wednesday and Thursday. The Department of State said Blinken would touch upon US weapons supplies to Ukraine, and meet with President Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, as well as representatives of Ukraine’s civil society. According to Kiev’s official statement Blinken will also discuss energy and economic issues and US assistance to reform in Ukraine.

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