US vice-president to visit Ukraine

WASHINGTON - US Vice-President Joe Biden will travel to Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, for meetings with officials and members of the public on April 22, the White House said Saturday.

Biden will underscore the strong US support for "a united, democratic Ukraine that makes its own choices about its future path," the White House said in a statement.

In Kiev, Biden will consult with government officials on the international community's efforts to help stabilize Ukraine's economy and to assist Ukraine in moving forward on constitutional reform, decentralization, anti-corruption efforts, and free and fair presidential elections scheduled for May 25, as well as on the latest steps to enhance Ukraine's energy security.

Biden will also discuss the latest developments in eastern Ukraine, where "pro-Russian separatists, apparently with the support of Moscow, continue an orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage to destabilize the Ukrainian state," said the statement.