BuzzFeed: Pompeo to meet with Ukraine's Zelensky next week
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Ukraine on Jan. 31 to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, BuzzFeed News reported Wednesday, citing three diplomatic sources with knowledge of Pompeo's schedule.
Why it matters: It's the first time a member of the U.S. cabinet will meet Zelensky since the House voted to impeach President Trump on charges that he sought to pressure his Ukrainian counterpart to announce investigations into his political rivals.
- Trump and Zelensky met personally at the United Nations in September, a day after Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would begin an impeachment inquiry.
- The meeting between Pompeo and Zelensky will almost certainly take place at the same as the Senate impeachment trial.
The big picture: It is not clear what the pair will discuss, but sources described the meeting as "substantive and not simply a drop-in," BuzzFeed reports. The meeting would mark a show of support for Ukraine as Zelensky continues to seek an end to the country's six-year war with Russia.
- The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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