KYIV, Ukraine - U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney is pledging U.S. support for Ukraine's western-leaning government following last month's war between neighbouring Russia and Georgia.
Cheney said during a visit to Kyiv on Friday that Ukrainians should be able to live without what he called `the threat of tyranny, economic blackmail and military invasion or intimidation.'
He says the United States has a `deep and abiding interest' in Ukraine's security.
Cheney spoke after meeting with President Viktor Yushchenko.
Cheney's visit to Ukraine and two other ex-Soviet republics signalled that the United States will continue cultivating close ties in a region Russia sees as its traditional sphere of influence.
