US Secretary of State visits Ukraine, Belarus - Russia worried

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his important visit to Ukraine - Photo: Getty

According to CNN, the US State Department said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will arrive in Kiev on January 3, becoming the first US administration official to visit Ukraine since Mr. Trump began his impeachment proceedings related to allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Mr. Pompeo is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, along with the Foreign Minister, the Defense Minister, and leaders of the country's religious, civil society, and business community.

CNN quoted a senior US State Department official as saying that the two sides will discuss issues such as security assistance, reform and strengthening the rule of law. This official also did not completely deny that Mr. Pompeo could seek new clues for the investigations that President Donald Trump aimed at former Vice President Joe Biden. Answering reporters yesterday (December 30), this senior official said:“I can’t announce every topic that will be discussed in the upcoming bilateral meetings, but that is certainly what we are focusing on. Particularly as Ukraine faces challenges, the United States stands with Kiev.”

The official also did not answer reporters' questions about the departure of the top US diplomat in Ukraine, Ambassador Bill Taylor. This person has been assigned to the charge d'affaires in Kiev since June, and is expected to leave on January 2 - just one day before Mr. Pompeo's visit. Ambassador Taylor is a key witness in the impeachment inquiry of the current US President.

Meanwhile, the meeting between US Secretary of State Pompeo and Ukrainian President Zelensky is scheduled to take place on January 3, the same day as the US Senate returns for its first meeting after the holiday recess. Here, lawmakers will continue to negotiate the terms of the President’s trial in the Senate. For her part, amid concerns from Democrats about an unfair trial, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has yet to deliver to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell two articles of impeachment charging President Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

In addition, according to Politico, the visit also emphasized the US's strong and unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of threats from Russia; the US also pledged to protect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, including refusing to recognize Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

In addition to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to visit Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the Republic of Cyprus. The focus will be on meeting with partners and affirming US priorities in Europe and the Central Asia region. Although the US focuses on foreign policy steps related to Ukraine, analysts note that the Russian government may pay more attention to Mr. Pompeo's trip to Belarus. Because the US has not had an ambassador in Belarus since 2008, when most of the country's diplomats were expelled after Washington announced sanctions against Belarus for human rights violations. But so far, the US seems to want to restore diplomatic relations with this country, in the context of Russian President Vladimir Putin also trying to merge with Belarus into a Union State mechanism./.