For author Thomas Roth, one of the most interesting moments of the US vice-president Joe Biden's two-day visit to Ukraine was his remark that he has been speaking to Ukrainian President Poroshenko more than to his own wife.
"It is true I've only been here four times in two years," said Biden.
"But I think we may have logged close to 1,000 hours on the telephone. I think I tend to be more in direct conversation for longer periods of time with the president than with my wife. I think they both regret that."
Biden: ‘More time talking to Ukraine president than my wife’ https://t.co/QGKZARGeQf pic.twitter.com/eEOw1TeBVL
— RT (@RT_com) 8 декабря 2015
"Biden said that, not Poroshenko. Not Saakashvili. Biden — the vice president of the USA! He is an excellent diplomat," says Roth.
"And in his mouth, such a phrase can mean only one thing: Peter, excuse me, but you have reached the limit."
As well as expressing his discomfort about Poroshenko's phone calls, Biden announced during his visit that the US won't deliver weapons to Kiev after all, in spite of the troubling decision by the US Congress to last month pass a bill that approved the supply of up to $50 million of lethal weapons for the Ukrainian government, in addition to more economic assistance.
Rather than weapons, the US vice president announced that Kiev will receive $190 million in US aid, to continue reforms.
"To understand what it all means, you have to remember how the US president demonstratively ignored Poroshenko. Then it is clear to all of us that this money is the last that America will give to Ukraine."
Roth was referring to a scene at the Paris climate conference last week, when Petro Poroshenko attempted to get special attention from Barack Obama at a photo session of leaders, but instead he got the cold shoulder from the US president.
Russian State TV shows this video from Paris "Obama ignores Poroshenko" — Coincidence? I don't think so. pic.twitter.com/jcpstzD11o
— Russian Market (@russian_market) 6 декабря 2015
"Poroshenko was looking for an entirely different sum: namely one billion dollars. That's why he was terrorizing the transatlantic employer with phone calls, and was so intrusive that poor Joe didn't even have time to talk to his wife, about which Biden informed the public."
Roth expounds several factors which he believes have led to Washington running out of patience with Kiev, above all, the world's "new reality" which excludes a confrontation with Russia. Instead, the US government wants the Ukrainian government to work towards a political resolution to its conflict.
He remarks that the US wants a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian and Turkish problems, in order to concentrate on a resolution in Syria, regarding which "growing voices in the US are in favor of the Russian position in Syria, and cooperation with Russia."
"In the face of these problems, who would continue Ukrainian business scams, and feed the insatiable horde of Ukrainian thieves?" asks Roth; instead, with his visit, Biden concluded US assistance for Kiev.
