26/02/2014 09:30
Ukraine is not caught in East-West battle, says US
US Secretary of State John Kerry has said Ukraine is not caught in a battle between East and West, the BBC reported.
Mr Kerry said it was not a zero-sum game and called for all nations to work together to bring stability to Ukraine.
The new administration in Kiev is facing continuing opposition from Ukraine's Russian-speaking regions.
Russia, which backed ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, has warned other states against seeking "unilateral advantages" in Ukraine.
However, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia's "policy of non-intervention" would continue.
On Tuesday, Mr Kerry met British Foreign Secretary William Hague in Washington for talks on the situation in Ukraine.
"Both of us are committed to doing our part to support the efforts of the people of Ukraine who have spoken out on their own with passion for their ability to have a democratic future," Mr Kerry said after the meeting.
"This is not a zero-sum game, this is not West versus East. It is not Russia or the United States, this is about the people of Ukraine and Ukrainians making their choices about the future and we want to work with Russia and other countries, with everybody available, to make sure this is peaceful from this day forward."
Earlier, Ukraine's interim President Olexander Turchynov expressed concern about what he called the serious threat of separatism following the ousting of Mr Yanukovych.
Addressing parliament, he said he would meet law enforcement agencies to discuss the risk of separatism in regions with large ethnic Russian populations. Separatism was a "serious threat", he said.
Many Russian-speaking residents in the south and east of Ukraine have protested against the actions of the interim authorities.
In the Crimean port city Sevastopol on Tuesday, some replaced the Ukrainian flag on a local government building with a Russian flag.
Meanwhile, parliament in Kiev has delayed the formation of a unity government until Thursday.
The delay was to allow further consultations, Mr Turchynov said, adding that "a coalition of national faith must be elected."