Kerry to travel to Ukraine amid escalating violence

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Ukraine on February 5 as violence flared up in the country this month, according to a statement from the state department.

The top US diplomat will meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin, and members of Ukraine's parliament, Xinhua quoted state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki as saying in a statement issued on Friday.

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

Ukrainian authorities said on 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 continued to escalate.

Kerry will then travel to Munich, Germany, from February 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 added.

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