Ambassador Pyatt decides not to speak at public events in Kyiv due to US government shutdown
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt has decided not to speak at an international conference on fighting anti-Semitism in Kyiv due to the government shutdown in his country.
When it was the U.S. ambassador's turn to address those present at the event, the moderator of the conference said: "Mr. Pyatt is present at the conference, however in connection with the events in Washington, DC, of which you all know, the U.S. ambassador will not be able to speak to us today."
Pyatt also refused to make any comments to journalists.
As reported, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has reduced its activities following the suspension of the work of the U.S. government.
"For the period of the suspension of the U.S. government's work, the U.S. embassy is also curtailing its work, and communications in social network as well. I'm not saying goodbye, but saying 'see you later,'" reads the embassy's page, written on behalf of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt.
However, according to the embassy's Web site, the consular department of the embassy will continue to issue visas and help their citizens abroad.
"The consular department of the embassy will keep working: issuing visas and rendering services to Americans abroad, since they're financed using money they pay themselves," reads a report from the embassy.
As reported, White House issued an official order to federal departments to start fulfill plans for the reduction of activities, for the first time since 1996, due to Congress's failure to pass legislation to fund the government.
Federal agencies will have to send on vacation over 800,000 office workers out of 2.9 million, shutting down a significant part of their activities.