John Kerry leads U.S. delegation to Ukraine for meetings on crisis

KIEV, Ukraine, March 4 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, accompanied by senior U.S. officials, arrived in Kiev on Tuesday for a series of meetings concerning the crisis in Ukraine, following Russia's military occupation of the Crimean Peninsula.

Kerry is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk, Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov, parliamentary members, and interfaith leaders.

According to the State Department, "The Secretary will reaffirm the United States' strong support for Ukrainian sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and the right of the Ukrainian people to determine their own future, without outside interference or provocation."

Kerry's delegation to Kiev includes Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland, Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Admiral Kurt Tidd, and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council Karen Donfried.

[State Department]