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UKRAINE-US-DIPLOMACY
Ukraine President Zelensky to meet Trump next week: Kiev
KIEV, Sept 20, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will
hold talks with President Donald Trump in New York next week, Kiev said
Friday, the first meeting since Zelensky’s May inauguration.
Zelensky will be in the United States between September 23-26 to attend
the UN General Assembly, his office said.
The meeting with Trump comes amid renewed efforts to end the conflict with
Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine’s east, in which the US is a key backer
of Kiev.
The announcement also follows US reports of a complaint filed by a US
intelligence official that stemmed from Trump’s communications with a foreign
leader.
The Washington Post said the complaint centres on Ukraine, citing two
people familiar with the matter. It allegedly involves a “promise” made by
Trump.
Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani have been accused by policial opponents
of putting pressure on the Ukrainian government for their own political ends,
by withholding US security assistance among other things. They allege that
Trump and Giuliani pressured Kiev to prosecute Ukrainians who provided
evidence against Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort.
Democratic lawmakers have also claimed that Kiev was being pressured to
provide damaging information on the son of Joe Biden.
The senior Biden is the leading Democratic hopeful to challenge Trump in
next year’s presidential election.
BSS/AFP/SSS/2101 hrs