US not mulling missile defence systems in Ukraine, Georgia

The United States Tuesday categorically ruled out deployment of its missile defence systems in Ukraine or Georgia

"We have no plans for deployment of a missile defence system in Ukraine or Georgia," Xinhua quoted Victoria Nuland, US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, as saying.

Nuland also denied reports that the anti-government protests in Ukraine, which led to the ouster of former president Viktor Yanukovych in February, were orchestrated by Washington, saying that the rallies "got zero assistance" from the United States.

On March 5, Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus Mykhailo Yezhel was cited by local media as saying that Kiev was in talks with Washington over a possible deployment of missile defence systems in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry later dismissed that report.

Meanwhile, Nuland said that Washington had been providing financial support for Ukraine's reforms since 1991 and reiterated her country's commitment to continue the assistance.

The United States was ready to allocate around $48 million to Kiev for economic stabilisation, enhancing fight against corruption, constitutional reform and strengthening of national security, Nuland added.

Since February, rumours had been circulating in some local and foreign media that the United States might have been supporting protests in Ukraine that began in November last year, to back the country's European integration.

The White House June 4, said US President Barack Obama had approved more than $23 million as security assistance to Ukraine since early March, when a new wave of unrest began in the eastern regions of the country.