U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday with $1 billion in American loan guarantees and a warning for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to reporters in a press conference from Kiev, Secretary Kerry, who is the first American official to visit the country since protesters toppled Viktor Yanukovych's regime last month, said the loans are a mark of solidarity and a demonstration of support for Ukraine’s new government.
Economic stability of #Ukraine critical during time of transition. Today’s support just 1 demonstration of #US commitment to Ukrainian ppl.— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) March 4, 2014
Kerry also said he was currently working with the U.S. Treasury Department "to lay out a broader, more comprehensive plan." He added: "We will provide the best expertise available to help Ukraine’s economy and financial institutions repair themselves and to work towards these free, fast, inclusive elections."
He also took a few swipes at Russia for its actions in Crimea.
"Today, in another part of this country, we are in a new phase of the struggle for freedom," he said of the events in the country's southern peninsula. "The United States reaffirms our commitment to Ukraine's sovereign and territorial integrity according to international law."
He then condemned Russia's aggression, adding that the U.S. "will stand with the people of Ukraine."
In a repetitive line he returned to throughout the press conference, Secretary Kerry fact-checked Russia's dubious claims over the past few days.
"The Russian government would have you believe," he said, "that the Ukrainian government somehow is illegitimate or led by extremists, ignoring the reality ... that elected representatives of the people of Ukraine overwhelmingly approved the new government -- even with members of Yanukovych's party deserting him and voting overwhelming to approve [it]."
He also blamed Yanukovych for deserting his country "when history came calling, when his country was in need."
The Secretary's remarks come just hours after Putin's defiant press conference in which he denied sending troops to the Crimean peninsula, instead calling the mysterious commandos "very well-trained self-defense forces."
"The larger point is really this," Kerry said, concluding his remarks. "It is diplomacy and respect for sovereignty -- not unilateral force -- that can best solve disputes like this in the 21st Century."
In Kyiv #SecState @JohnKerry meets w #Ukraine's interim President O. Turchynov & PM A. Yatsenyuk. Photo by Getty pic.twitter.com/QSXjq0N5QM— US Mission to NATO (@USNATO) March 4, 2014
After meeting with Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, Ukraine's acting prime minister, and Oleksandr V. Turchynov, its acting president, Kerry paid a solemn visit to a memorial for fallen protesters in Kiev's Independence Square.
"Incredibly moving visit to Shrine of the Fallen," Secretary Kerry tweeted shortly after visiting the memorial. "Courageous, proud people. We stand [with] Ukrainians for self-determination."
Incredibly moving visit to Shrine of the Fallen.Courageous,proud people.We stand w/ Ukrainians for self-determination pic.twitter.com/N6klo1LanK— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) March 4, 2014
Kerry spoke of the determination and courage of the protesters who swarmed Independence Square over the past few months, calling his visit there "quite remarkable."
"I have to tell you to see the barricades, see the tires, see the barbed wire, see the bullet holes and the street lamps, the extraordinary number of flowers, the people still standing beside a barrel with a fire to keep them warm, the shrouded vision in the clouds and the fog and the buildings from which the shots came and the pictures the photographs of those who lost their lives of people who put themselves on the line for the future of Ukraine, it was deeply moving," he said.
![[img src="http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/kerry_tires.jpg" caption="Secretary of State John Kerry stands beside a barricade at the Shrine of the Fallen in Kiev,Ukraine, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. The Shrine of the Fallen, located on Institutska Street, honors the fallen Heroes of the "Heavenly Sotnya" (Hundred). Over the course of the EuroMaidan protests, almost 100 protesters were killed by police." credit="Kevin Lamarque, Pool" alt="John Kerry stands beside a barricade"]](http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/kerry_tires.jpg){kind=link}
"It was very moving and it gave me a deep personal sense of how closely linked the people of Ukraine are to not just Americans but all across the world," he added.
Watch the full speech below: