U.S. Official: Trump Blocked Statement Condemning Russia’s Military Actions In Ukraine

During testimony before Congressional investigators on Wednesday, a U.S. official told lawmakers that President Donald Trump inexplicably blocked the State Department from releasing a statement condemning Russia’s military action in Ukraine.

Christopher Anderson, a former advisor to U.S. envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker, is testifying on Capitol Hill in the ongoing House impeachment inquiry.

In a prepared opening statement, Anderson claims that “on November 25, 2018, as Russia escalated the conflict further when its forces openly attacked and seized Ukrainian military vessels heading to a Ukrainian port in the Sea of Azov,” he and his colleagues at the State Department “quickly prepared a statement condemning Russia for its escalation. But senior officials in the White House blocked it from being issued.”

Ambassador Volker drafted a tweet condemning Russia’s actions, which I posted to his account.”

Wow. We still need to understand why Trump remains so intent an appeasing Putin. https://t.co/3iYEN1Ur9c

— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) October 30, 2019