Kerry and Poroshenko remarks before meeting tonight

Kerry: President Obama is very committed to moving on the next tranche of

sanctions, with hopes always that a ceasefire and a real process of
disengagement with Russian troops leaving Ukraine and the border being
closed that that can follow.

<Photo: Presidents Hollande, Poroshenko and Obama with UK Prime Minister Cameron in
their meeting earlier today. Photo courtesy Ukraine presidential website

The U.S. State Department provided the following transcription of remarks by Secretary of
State John Kerry immediately before meeting with President Petro Poroshenko

Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Celtic Manor
Wales, United Kingdom
September 4, 2014 [received in Kyiv at 08:07pm local time]

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me just say quickly to the members of the press, we had one
meeting earlier with President Obama and the other leaders, principal P5 leaders, and we
had a very frank discussion about the challenges in Ukraine. President Poroshenko was
very clear about his desire to find a peaceful way forward, but in the absence of that, the
need for strong action by those people who support Ukraine. And President Obama is very
committed to moving on the next tranche of sanctions, with hopes always that a ceasefire
and a real process of disengagement with Russian troops leaving Ukraine and the border
being closed that that can follow.

So thats our goal, and were going to talk now about some of the details with respect to
this challenge of how we really resolve a longer-term confrontation.

PRESIDENT POROSHENKO: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. First of all, I want to
thank United States for the continued support and unity and solidarity with Ukraine. Its a
very difficult time. I think that the this is the fighting for democracy, fighting for
freedom, and the Ukrainian people are mobilized to defend the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of their country. But at the end of the day, all of us want peace, and we
understand that the it would be impossible (inaudible) victory by military means.

And the only thing we need now for peace and stability is just two main things: First, that
Russia withdraws their troops, and second, to close the border. If it happens, I assure you
that Ukraine find out a peaceful solution within the days. We presented the (inaudible)
my peace plan. It was widely supported inside the country and in the world, and I want to
thank the United States for the strong and continued support of peace effort of Ukraine,
and we cross the fingers that tomorrow, we have slight hopes that the our proposal for
the immediate ceasefire and the implementation, the a key element of the peace process
on the Trilateral Contact Group. And we will see whats going on there.

I have a very careful optimism about that, but we think that it can bring to the peace
results only we will have the solidarity, we will have a well-coordinated action, and I
think that today discussion wide discussion about the peace plan, about the DCFTA,
about the association agreement, about the future for energy question, is the exactly
about the situation within the economy, is that the the list of the things it's we're to
discuss between us.

Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: We look forward to our discussions. Thank you all very much.