U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Kiev, capital of Ukraine, on Feb. 5, as violence flared up this month in the eastern region of the East European country, according to a statement issued by the State Department Friday.

The top U.S. diplomat will meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, and members of Ukraine's parliament, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

"The Secretary's visit will highlight the United States' steadfast support for Ukraine and its people," Psaki said.

Ukrainian authorities said Friday that at least 35 civilians were killed in the east of the country over the past day, as fighting between government forces and rebels continues to escalate.

Kerry will then travel to Munich, Germany, from Feb. 6-8 to attend the Munich Security Conference.

During his stay in Munich, Kerry will also hold a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings, including one with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Psaki told a press briefing Friday.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)