Biden in Ukraine to assure leaders of U.S. backing | Reuters - July 20, 2009 |

Vice-President Joe Biden arrived in Ukraine to reassure its leaders Washington has not forgotten the ex-Soviet republic following President Barack Obama's push to improve ties with neighboring Russia.

The streets of Kiev were shut down for security reasons for Biden's visit. But ordinary Ukrainians were largely indifferent to the vice-president's arrival and newspapers had little coverage ahead of his arrival.

President Viktor Yushchenko, vaulted to power in the 2004 Orange Revolution, has angered Moscow with an aggressive bid for Ukraine to join NATO and his promotion of Ukrainian nationalism. But Yushchenko's term ends early next year and polls show he is very unlikely to win re-election.

[...]
A snap poll by the English-language Kyiv Post found that 66 percent of respondents wanted Biden to tell Ukraine's leaders: "Get your act together" while only 5 percent suggested "Resist Russia with all your might."

Biden is also expected to call for reforms in the energy sector, beset by financial woes and aging infrastructure.  

The vice president will leave Kiev for fellow ex-Soviet state and NATO aspirant Georgia ...

Europe's Frontier: A Rusted Iron Curtain | Jan 7th, 2018 |

Quite interesting read ... 18 years later

The Polish plumber by Jerome a Paris Thu Jun 16th, 2005 |

'Sapere aude'