The election of a Republican-controlled Congress, in which senior members from both parties advocate greater support for Ukraine against Russia, helped calm nerves, he said.
"Personal relations were established," Haran said of Poroshenko's June 20 meeting with Trump. "This means that Ukraine is not isolated."
At the same time, the United States has imposed new sanctions on Russia, depriving Putin and the Russian economy of an investment boost ahead of the presidential election in March 2018, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Crimea takeover.
Investigations into alleged Russian interference in the election that got Trump into power will also make it harder for Trump to give Putin concessions, even if he wants to.
Ahead of the G20 summit, Trump called on Russia to stop destabilizing Ukraine, a charge that chimes with Kiev's view of the conflict but one that Moscow rejects.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-usa-tillerson-idUSKBN19U0OS
