Pompeo heads to Ukraine next week as impeachment winds down

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Ukraine next week, making his first trip to country at heart of President Donald Trump's impeachment.

As Trump's Senate trial on impeachment charges continues, State Department anunced Friday that Pompeo would travel to Kiev as part of a five-nation tour of Europe and Central Asia. Since vember, Pompeo has twice previously canceled plans to visit Ukraine, most recently just after New Year when developments with Iran forced him to postpone it. Pompeo will also visit Britain, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on trip.

Trump's impeachment on charges of abuse of office and obstruction of Congress hinges on his policy toward Ukraine. Witnesses told House investigators that Trump wanted Ukraine to anunce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden's son in return for releasing critical military aid to Ukraine.

One of those witnesses, William Taylor, was until Jan. 1 acting U.S. ambassor to Ukraine. Pompeo h appointed Taylor to post over summer to take over from Marie Yovavitch, whose tour was abruptly cut short last May after Trump's personal attorney Rudolph Giuliani me unsubstantiated allegations against her.

Taylor departed Kyiv just a day before Pompeo was to have arrived on his previously planned trip. position was temporary and time-limited by law but his tenure could have lasted until mid-January. His departure prompted complaints from lawmakers that his departure was similar to Yovavitch's early recall and sent a poor mess to embassy in Kyiv and career diplomats more generally, as well as to Ukrainian authorities.

In Kyiv, Pompeo will meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, whose July 25 phone call with Trump triggered whistleblower complaint that led to Trump's impeachment. In that call, Trump dispard Yovavitch and asked Zelenskiy for “a favor,” suggesting he wanted Ukrainian authorities to investigate Biden's son, Hunter Biden, for corruption. Trump has said call was “perfect” and has denied doing anything wrong.

In his meetings, Pompeo will “reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” as country continues to battle Russia-backed separatists in east, State Department said. Pompeo also will hor Ukrainians who have died in conflict, which intensified after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014, in a move condemned and rejected by most of international community. senior official said Pompeo would underscore that U.S. will never recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea.

A senior official previewing Pompeo's ultimately postponed trip, said secretary would discuss Zelenskiy's anti-corruption efforts but would t comment on wher secretary would raise Trump's desire for an investigation into Hunter Biden and his role on board of a Ukrainian energy company or discredited claims that Ukraine and t Russia was responsible for interfering in 2016 U.S. presidential election.

In dition, Pompeo plans to meet Ukrainian religious, civic and business leers for talks on human rights, investment and ecomic and political reform, department said.

Pompeo will begin his trip on Jan. 31 in London, where he will meet Prime Minister Boris Johnson and underscore ministration's desire to forge a free-tre tre deal with Britain as it exits European Union.

From Ukraine, Pompeo will travel on to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan before returning home in time for Trump's State of Union dress to Congress on Feb. 4. Human rights, energy independence and ecomic reform will top Pompeo's nda at each of those stops.

In Minsk, secretary plans to affirm U.S. commitment to improving ties with Belarus, which has h a strained relationship with Russia. President Alexander Lukashenko has pursued better relations with West since Russia's annexation of Crimea as Belarus is wary that Russia could try to absorb it.

In September, U.S. and Belarus agreed to upgre diplomatic ties by returning ambassors to each or's capitals after an 11-year break.