Mike Pompeo: No Plans for Ukraine’s President to Visit the White House
There are still no plans for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to visit the White House, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In what will be seen as positive news for Russia’s Vladimir Putin, it appears Zelensky’s much sought after visit ti Washington won’t take place.
BREAKING: Pompeo said after meeting w/ Zelensky in Kyiv that US supports Ukraine against Russian aggression. But he said there are no plans for Zelensky to visit Trump at the White House — which Zelensky says he wants. It’d be an important signal to Putin. https://t.co/g9P4OUGcV8
— Edward Wong (@ewong) January 31, 2020
“President Zelensky will be welcome to come to Washington when we have the opportunity to do good things for the American people and the Ukrainian people,” Pompeo said in Kyiv.
“We’ll find the right time.”
Zelensky has been seeking a visit to the White House since his election last year. Such a visit, and photographs with Trump in the Oval Office, would be a major PR victory for him and copper-fasten his position as a key U.S. ally. The failure to invite Zelensky to D.C. will damage his credibility as his country continues to fight Russia.
Zelensky has asked for an Oval Office visit since he became president in early 2019. But Trump hasn’t scheduled one — and US diplomats testified that Trump demanded political favors for a visit. That and suspended military aid are at the heart of the impeachment trial.
— Edward Wong (@ewong) January 31, 2020
Ukraine is the subject of the ongoing impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Trump is accused of seeking investigations of the Bidens from Zelensky and leveraging both military aid and a White House meeting, both of which the Ukrainians desperately want.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly cited Zelenksy in defending the President’s actions toward Ukraine. Zelensky has said he felt no pressure from Trump, but the Ukrainian leader is still relying on the administration for essential military aid and trying to secure the White House meeting. Any criticism of Trump on his part could jeopardize both.
