Deputy Secretary Of State Bill Burns Visits With Political Leaders In Kyiv, Ukraine

Legislative & Executive Branch

Ukraine & Russia

Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns was in Kyiv, Ukraine, last week meeting with political leaders, civil society and religious leaders.  White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said last Wednesday:

“The United States strongly supports Ukrainian leaders’ ongoing work to form an inclusive, multiparty government to represent all the people of the Ukraine as they prepare for May elections, and to restore order, stability, and unity to the country.”

Likely directed at Russia, Carney further said, “We urge outside actors in the region to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, to end provocative rhetoric and actions, ….”   On Friday, Ukriane’s Interior Minister said Russian troops had taken control of the two main airports in Crimea, a charge Russia denied.  Over the weekend, President Barack Obama called on President Vladimir Putin to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine. Ukraine’s new government started working on securing financing this week, including requesting funding from the International Monetary Fund.  Secretary of State John Kerry departs Washington for Kyiv this Tuesday.  This Thursday, March 6, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will examine the U.S. Foreign Policy toward Ukraine.

Iran

Last week, the media reported Iran had signed a deal to sell Iraq arms and ammunition worth $195 million.  If true, this arms sale would break a current U.N. embargo (UNSCR 1747) on weapon sales by Tehran.  The State Department said it is seeking clarification on the matter from the Government of Iraq.  This Tuesday, March 4, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa will hold a hearing titled, “Iran’s Support for Terrorism Worldwide.”

Syria

After a series of missed deadlines, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) reported last week that Syria had finally delivered a significant consignment of mustard gas to the Syrian port of Latakia to be exported and destroyed.  Ahmet Üzümcü, Director-General of the OPCW, said:

“Much work nonetheless remains to be done, and we look to the Syrian government to accelerate its efforts to transfer the remaining chemicals in regular, predictable and systematic movements.”

On Thursday, March 6, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Syria Spillover: The Growing Threat of Terrorism and Sectarianism in the Middle East.”

Trade

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) suggested last Wednesday that the White House should present its own legislation to confront foreign currency manipulation and address other congressional trade priorities if it is serious about winning approval of trade promotion authority.  At a news conference last Wednesday, Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) said:

“The TPP [Trans-Pacific Partnership] is nothing more than another job-killing trade deal that only benefits multinational corporations while delivering another blow to the middle class.”

After meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman last Wednesday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili expressed hope  of negotiating a free trade agreement with the United States.  Last week, President Obama nominated a former software trade group lobbyist Robert Holleyman to be a Deputy U.S. Trade Representative.

Afghanistan

Last Tuesday, President Obama called Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss the upcoming elections and the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA).  President Obama said due to President Karzai’s reluctance to sign the BSA, he has asked the Pentagon to ensure that it has adequate plans in place to accomplish an orderly withdrawal by the end of the year, should the United States not keep any troops in Afghanistan after 2014.

2013 Human Rights Report

Last Thursday, Secretary of State Kerry released the State Department’s 2013 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. In general, the report observed: (1) increased crackdown on civil society and the freedoms of association and assembly; (2) restrictions on freedom of speech and press freedom; (3) accountability deficits for security forces abuses; (4) lack of effective labor rights protections; and (5) the continued marginalization of vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minorities, women and children, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations.

Middle East Peace

Today, March 3, President Obama will welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House.  Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas visit the White House on March 17.

Uganda

Press Secretary Carney said last Monday that “[i]nstead of standing on the side of freedom, justice, and equal rights for its people, …, regrettably, Ugandan President Museveni took Uganda a step backward by signing into law legislation criminalizing homosexuality.”

This Week’s Hearings:

• Tuesday, March 4:  The Senate Foreign Relations Eastern Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, “Strengthening U.S. Alliances in Northeast Asia.”
• Tuesday, March 4:  The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa will hold a hearing titled, “Iran’s Support for Terrorism Worldwide.”
• Tuesday, March 4:  The House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing titled, “The Posture of the U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Strategic Command.”
• Wednesday, March 5:  The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade will hold a hearing titled, “Threats to Israel: Terrorist Funding and Trade Boycotts.”
• Wednesday, March 5:  The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2015 and the Future Years Defense Program.”
• Wednesday, March 5:  The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces will hold a hearing titled, “Nuclear Forces and Policies.”
• Wednesday, March 5:  The House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing titled, “The Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Budget Requests from the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command.”
• Wednesday, March 5:  The Senate Finance Committee will hear testimony from Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew on “The President’s Fiscal Year 2015 Budget.”
• Wednesday, March 5:  The House Ways and Means Committee will hear testimony from Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew on “The President’s Fiscal Year 2015 Budget.”
• Thursday, March 6:  The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled, “U.S. Foreign Policy Toward Ukraine.”
• Thursday, March 6:  The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Syria Spillover: The Growing Threat of Terrorism and Sectarianism in the Middle East.”
• Thursday, March 6:  The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for the following individuals: Deborah Bir to be Ambassador at Large and Coordinator of U.S Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally; Suzan LeVine to be U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein; Maureen Elizabeth Cormack to be U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Peter Selfridge to be Chief of Protocol.
• Thursday, March 6:  The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing titled, “The Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Budget Requests from the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command.
• Thursday, March 6:  The House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing titled, “The Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the Department of Defense.”