Pompeo reassures leader of U.S. support on Russia

KYIV, Ukraine — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that the Trump administration was committed to supporting Ukraine in its defense against aggression by Russia, which invaded and annexed part of the country and is supporting a separatist insurgency.

“Today I’m here with a clear message: The United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one,” Pompeo said after meeting with Ukraine’s leader in Kyiv. “Our commitment to support it will not waver.”

His visit, in which he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, was aimed at calming unease among Ukrainian officials about the relationship between Washington and Kyiv, which has been thrust into the spotlight because of the impeachment of President Trump based on charges of abuse of power and obstruction over the president’s actions on Ukraine.

Zelensky said they talked about new steps to strengthen the partnership between the two nations.

“I don’t think these friendly and warm relations have been influenced by the impeachment trial of the president,” Zelensky said at a news conference with Pompeo.

While the two officials offered reassurances that relations were strong, Pompeo did not give Zelensky one thing he has sought since his election in April: an invitation to meet Trump at the White House, which would be an important signal to Russia of U.S. support for Ukraine. Pompeo’s message that Trump was not ready to receive Zelensky at the White House was a blow to the Ukrainian president’s national security efforts.

Evidence that Trump had earlier demanded, in return for such a visit, that Ukraine announce the start of an investigation that could benefit him, became an important part of the impeachment inquiry. In response to a question Friday, Pompeo said a White House visit by Zelensky was not dependent on the kind of investigation that Trump had sought.

Ukrainian officials are angry that the Americans have granted Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, two visits with Trump in the White House, most recently in December.

Pompeo was the first official from Trump’s Cabinet to meet with Zelenskiy since the impeachment inquiry began in the fall. Trump met briefly with the Ukrainian leader Sept. 25 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York — the day after Democrats in the House of Representatives announced the opening of the inquiry.

The Democrats’ move was prompted by a formal complaint filed by a CIA whistleblower who said that Trump had pressed Zelenskiy in a July 25 call for political favors at the same time he was withholding from Ukraine $391 million of military aid mandated by Congress.