Sondland implicates top officials on Ukraine, but says he ‘never heard’ quid pro quo from Trump
European Union ambassador Gordon Sondland tied top officials to the “potential quid pro quo” involving U.S. military aid to Ukraine and investigations desired by President Trump during his highly anticipated impeachment hearing testimony on Wednesday – yet said he never heard that link from the president himself. One of the key witnesses in the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry against Trump, Sondland […]
Ukraine foreign minister: No links between aid, investigations
The Democrats’ impeachment campaign against President Trump is centered on a claim that he used the threat of withholding U.S. aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. However, in a statement published by Interfax-Ukraine, Ukraine Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said Thursday that U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland never asked him for […]
CNN analyst: It’s a ‘problem’ for Dems that impeachment witnesses never met Trump
A prominent CNN commentator pointed out a “problem” House Democrats have following the first public hearing in their impeachment inquiry of President Trump. U.S. diplomat Bill Taylor and State Department official George Kent were the first witnesses to offer their testimony in the open and were grilled for several hours over their knowledge of Trump’s conduct […]
Tillerson, Russia’s Lavrov discuss Syria, Ukraine, Middle East
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed cooperation on the Syrian crisis, Middle East issues, and the agreement to bring peace to Ukraine in a meeting on Sunday, Lavrov’s spokeswoman said.Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said “the meeting was on cooperation in Syria crisis, Middle East issues and Minsk agreement”. No […]
Ukraine president says sanctions keep Russian tanks out of central Europe
Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, has appealed for the Trump administration to maintain sanctions against Russia, saying it is the only way to keep Vladimir Putin at the negotiating table and Russian tanks away from central Europe. He said continued support for Ukraine was a test of whether the west was in decline, as Moscow has […]
Sanctions to Remain in Place Until Crimea Occupation Ends
The Trump administration threw its support unequivocally behind Ukraine Tuesday in that country’s ongoing conflict with Russia, informing the Kremlin that U.S. sanctions will remain in place until Russia ends its occupation of Crimea. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley told the U.N. Security Council that the U.S. does believe a better relationship with […]
How World War III could begin in Latvia
Four years ago, I predicted Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Here’s my next prediction, which by now will strike many people as obvious: The Baltics are next, and will pose one of President-elect Donald Trump’s first and greatest tests. It probably won’t take the form of an overt invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin has a clear goal […]
Ukraine Fears That Putin Will ‘Step Forward’ if Trump Pulls Back
It may not get the attention of Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan, but there is a war grinding away in Ukraine which pits the United States and Russia on opposite sides. Since 2014, Washington has supported the Western-leaning Ukrainian government, which is locked in conflict with pro-Russia separatists backed by Moscow. Vice-President Joe Biden and Ukrainian […]
‘It’s a pretty disturbing time for Ukraine’: Trump’s Russia ties unnerve Kiev
iev was far from the only capital city in which the ruling elite reacted with alarm to the election of Donald Trump, but the Ukrainian government has more reason than most to fear the new US administration. The US president-elect made a number of positive comments about the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, during the campaign, […]
NATO, Europe Urge No Compromise With Russia Over Ukraine
America’s European allies said Tuesday that the West must not compromise on its principles or weaken its support for Ukraine, in response to a telephone call this week between President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr. Trump’s comments during the election campaign about seeking a better relationship with Russia rattled Eastern European officials. […]