Biden scraps trip to Dominican Republic

Vice President Biden is scrapping his trip to the Dominican Republic to return to Washington and participate in Wednesday’s meeting with the prime minister of Ukraine, the White House confirmed Monday.

Biden had planned to visit Santo Domingo and meet with President Danilo Medina to discuss trade and energy security after a swing through Chile to attend the inauguration ceremony for Chilean president-elect Michelle Bachelet. The decision to forgo the Dominican Republic leg and return to Washington was first reported by Dominican news organizations.

{mosads}Biden had consulted frequently with former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich before he fled to Russia following violent protests in the capital city of Europe. Biden’s subsequent outreach to Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who will meet with President Obama on Wednesday, was seen as a signal that the U.S. considered Yatsenyuk to now be the legitimate leader of Ukraine.

Biden is expected to reschedule the trip to the Dominican Republic.