The State Department said Mike Pompeo postponed the trip due to "the ongoing situation in Iraq" and to "ensure the safety and security of Americans."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo postponed an upcoming trip that included a stop in Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to focus on the security situation in Iraq, the State Department announced Wednesday.
"Secretary Pompeo must postpone his visit to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus due to the need for the Secretary to be in Washington, D.C., to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East," the State Department said in a statement. The mob breached the embassy after U.S. airstrikes killed at least two dozen fighters linked to Kataeb Hezbollah, a militia the U.S.
He also called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatari Emir Hamad al-Thani to thank both leaders for their support"in the face of Iran’s malign regional influence," the State Department said. Story continuesReinforcements of about 100 Marines were sent to help secure the embassy, a U.S. military official who was not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY.
Pompeo's planned meeting with Zelensky was scheduled to take place at an awkward time as the Senate waits to begin an impeachment trial over allegations Trump delayed military aid to pressure the Ukrainian president into opening investigations that stood to benefit Trump politically.
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