On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suddenly cancelled his trip to Ukraine that was scheduled for Friday.
State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in an official statement that Pompeo needed to stay in the U.S. “to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East.”
“Secretary Pompeo’s trip will be rescheduled in the near future and he looks forward to the visit at that time,” she said.
Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vadym Prystaiko, tweeted in response, “We affirm our readiness to welcome @SecPompeo in Ukraine and we expect to agree new dates of the visit shortly.”
Pompeo had also cancelled a visit to Ukraine in November, around when the House’s impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s Ukraine scheme accelerating. Trump personally ordered Pompeo to put off the trip, according to the Daily Beast.
