Trump Reads Out His Sharpie Scrawls As Impeachment Proceedings Intensify.

Trump: All the President's men ( & his sharpie notes!) | Gravitas

The US&nbsp;military formally notified a court-martialed Navy SEAL commando on Wednesday that he faces proceedings to expel him from the ranks of elite special forces after his demotion was reversed by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ordered-ukraine-deal-to-probe-biden-us-diplomat-sondland-263493">President Donald Trump</a>, his lawyer and a Navy spokeswoman said.

A trident review board hearing is set for December&nbsp;2 to weigh whether Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who was charged with committing war crimes during a 2017 deployment to Iraq, is fit to remain in the SEALs, Navy Captain Tamara Lawrence said.

She told Reuters that three of Gallagher's commanding officers face separate hearings to review whether they, too, should be removed from the SEALs.

Gallagher's civilian lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, confirmed his client was served with papers in San Diego, where he is based, informing him of the upcoming review, convened by Naval Special Warfare commander Rear Admiral Collin Green.

Parlatore said Green's move to strip Gallagher of his SEAL status marked a direct challenge to Trump's authority as commander-in-chief and an act of insubordination for which Parlatore said the admiral himself could be court-martialed.

Parlatore contested the move in a complaint filed on Tuesday with the US&nbsp;Defense Department inspector general's office.

Gallagher's notice of a trident review board hearing cited the verdict rendered in his court-martial trial in July as evidence calling into question his suitability to continue serving in naval special warfare, the Navy said.

A military jury acquitted him of charges he fired at unarmed civilians and murdered a captured Islamic State fighter by stabbing the wounded prisoner in the neck. But he was found guilty of illegally posing with the detainee's corpse.

Although spared prison time, he was sentenced to a demotion in rank and pay, from chief petty officer to petty officer first-class, along with a two-month forfeiture of his salary.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/donald-trump-says-us-is-still-talking-to-china-on-trade-263477">Trump last Friday intervened in the case</a> to restore his rank and pay, allowing Gallagher to retire later this year on a full pension. The president also granted pardons to two Army officers separately accused of war crimes in Afghanistan.

Critics said Trump's moves undermined military justice and sent a message that US&nbsp;battlefield atrocities would be tolerated.

The US military formally notified a court-martialed Navy SEAL commando on Wednesday that he faces proceedings to expel him from the ranks of elite special forces after his demotion was reversed by President Donald Trump, his lawyer and a Navy spokeswoman said.

The US military formally notified a court-martialed Navy SEAL commando on Wednesday that he faces proceedings to expel him from the ranks of elite special forces after his demotion was reversed by President Donald Trump, his lawyer and a Navy spokeswoman said. A trident review board hearing is set for December 2 to weigh whether Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who was charged with committing war crimes during a 2017 deployment to Iraq, is fit to remain in the SEALs, Navy Captain Tamara Lawrence said. She told Reuters that three of Gallagher's commanding officers face separate hearings to review whether they, too, should be removed from the SEALs. Gallagher's civilian lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, confirmed his client was served with papers in San Diego, where he is based, informing him of the upcoming review, convened by Naval Special Warfare commander Rear Admiral Collin Green. Parlatore said Green's move to strip Gallagher of his SEAL status marked a direct challenge to Trump's authority as commander-in-chief and an act of insubordination for which Parlatore said the admiral himself could be court-martialed. Parlatore contested the move in a complaint filed on Tuesday with the US Defense Department inspector general's office. Gallagher's notice of a trident review board hearing cited the verdict rendered in his court-martial trial in July as evidence calling into question his suitability to continue serving in naval special warfare, the Navy said. A military jury acquitted him of charges he fired at unarmed civilians and murdered a captured Islamic State fighter by stabbing the wounded prisoner in the neck. But he was found guilty of illegally posing with the detainee's corpse. Although spared prison time, he was sentenced to a demotion in rank and pay, from chief petty officer to petty officer first-class, along with a two-month forfeiture of his salary. Trump last Friday intervened in the case to restore his rank and pay, allowing Gallagher to retire later this year on a full pension. The president also granted pardons to two Army officers separately accused of war crimes in Afghanistan. Critics said Trump's moves undermined military justice and sent a message that US battlefield atrocities would be tolerated.

US Navy moves to expel court-martialed SEAL commando after Trump restored his rank

A senior US diplomat directly implicated <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-praises-apple-chief-tim-cook-for-great-job-in-austin-after-tirade-against-technology-firms-263491">President Donald Trump</a> Wednesday in a scheme to force Ukraine to probe a political rival, in bombshell testimony to a televised impeachment hearing.

Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, told lawmakers he followed the president's orders in seeking a "quid pro quo" deal for Ukraine to investigate Democrat Joe Biden in exchange for a White House summit.

Sondland said Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani led the effort at Trump's direction to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for the investigation and that top official in the White House and State Department knew about it.

The unexpectedly damning testimony drew a sharp backlash from Trump who tweeted: "This Witch Hunt must end NOW. So bad for our Country!".

Trump said he barely knew Sondland and had not spoken to him much, despite the senior diplomat having donated $1 million to his inauguration and testifying that he had spoken to the president some 20 times while ambassador.

Bombshell testimony

Democrats said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-inquiry-us-president-says-does-not-know-sondland-very-well-263475">Sondland's seven hours of testimony</a> before the House Intelligence Committee had bolstered their case for Trump's impeachment for what they have labelled "extortion".

"Today's testimony is among the most significant evidence to date," said committee chairman Adam Schiff.

"It goes right to the heart of the issue of bribery as well as other potential high crimes or misdemeanours."

A succession of Democrats hoping to win the nomination to take on Trump in next year's election also said the testimony had strengthened the case for impeachment as the issue dominated the opening exchanges in their latest televised primary debate.

Sondland said Trump directed him and two other senior diplomats to work with Giuliani.

From early in the year, Giuliani mounted a pressure campaign on Zelensky's government to investigate Biden over his son Hunter's ties to a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and to probe a conspiracy theory espoused by Trump that Ukraine helped Democrats against him in 2016. Biden is one of the favourites to challenge Trump in next year's presidential election.

"Mr&nbsp;Giuliani demanded that Ukraine&nbsp;make a public statement announcing the investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma," Sondland told the panel.

"Mr Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky."

Far from being a "rogue" operation outside normal US diplomatic channels, Sondland told the hearing top officials,&nbsp;including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,&nbsp;were kept constantly informed.

"We followed the president's orders," he said.&nbsp;

Watch: Sondland admits quid pro quo at hearing

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'Can't remember'

Like Trump, a multimillionaire developer with a chain of high-end hotels, Sondland, who wore a $55,000 Breguet white gold watch to the hearing, fended off pressure from both Democrats and Republicans.&nbsp;

He had not implicated the president in earlier private testimony when he answered scores of questions by saying he could "not remember".

But subsequent testimony by other witnesses which had further implicated him in the Ukraine pressure scheme had jolted his memory, he said on Wednesday.

While he confirmed the linkage between the investigations and a White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump, he would not attest to allegations that Trump froze $391 million in aid as well to Ukraine to add pressure on Ukraine.&nbsp;

"I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on an announcement" of the investigations, he said, contradicting testimony from two other diplomats.

Ukraine knew of aid freeze in July

In separate testimony, a Pentagon official appeared to undermine a key <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-never-discussed-ukraine-aid-freeze-with-me-us-diplomat-gordon-sondland-263472">Republican defence in the impeachment battle</a>, that Kiev did not even know until late August or even September about the July 18 aid freeze, rendering moot Democrats' allegations that Trump had extorted Ukraine.

Laura Cooper, the Pentagon official in charge of Ukraine affairs, said Kiev voiced concern over a holdup in aid on July 25.

That was the same day that Trump told Zelensky in a phone call that he wanted a favour, asking for investigations into Biden specifically and the 2016 conspiracy theory.

"The Ukrainian embassy staff asked, 'What is going on with Ukrainian security assistance?" she told the committee.

At the White House, Trump denied making the demand of Zelensky, citing Sondland's own recall of their September 9 phone call on the Ukraine issue.&nbsp;

Reading from large-print notes, he said that he told Sonderland: "I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelensky to do the right thing."

"If this were a prizefight, they'd stop it!" he said of the inquiry.

Speaking at the Democrats' debate, Biden dodged a question on the role of his son but said the testimony had shown that "Donald Trump doesn't want me to be the nominee."

And Bernie Sanders, another of the frontrunners for the nomination, said Trump had been shown to be "not only a pathological liar" but also "the most corrupt president in the modern history of America".

A senior US diplomat directly implicated President Donald Trump Wednesday in a scheme to force Ukraine to probe a political rival, in bombshell testimony to a televised impeachment hearing.

A senior US diplomat directly implicated President Donald Trump Wednesday in a scheme to force Ukraine to probe a political rival, in bombshell testimony to a televised impeachment hearing. Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, told lawmakers he followed the president's orders in seeking a "quid pro quo" deal for Ukraine to investigate Democrat Joe Biden in exchange for a White House summit. Sondland said Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani led the effort at Trump's direction to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for the investigation and that top official in the White House and State Department knew about it. The unexpectedly damning testimony drew a sharp backlash from Trump who tweeted: "This Witch Hunt must end NOW. So bad for our Country!". Trump said he barely knew Sondland and had not spoken to him much, despite the senior diplomat having donated $1 million to his inauguration and testifying that he had spoken to the president some 20 times while ambassador. Bombshell testimony Democrats said Sondland's seven hours of testimony before the House Intelligence Committee had bolstered their case for Trump's impeachment for what they have labelled "extortion". "Today's testimony is among the most significant evidence to date," said committee chairman Adam Schiff. "It goes right to the heart of the issue of bribery as well as other potential high crimes or misdemeanours." A succession of Democrats hoping to win the nomination to take on Trump in next year's election also said the testimony had strengthened the case for impeachment as the issue dominated the opening exchanges in their latest televised primary debate. Sondland said Trump directed him and two other senior diplomats to work with Giuliani. From early in the year, Giuliani mounted a pressure campaign on Zelensky's government to investigate Biden over his son Hunter's ties to a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and to probe a conspiracy theory espoused by Trump that Ukraine helped Democrats against him in 2016. Biden is one of the favourites to challenge Trump in next year's presidential election. "Mr Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing the investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma," Sondland told the panel. "Mr Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky." Far from being a "rogue" operation outside normal US diplomatic channels, Sondland told the hearing top officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, were kept constantly informed. "We followed the president's orders," he said. Watch: Sondland admits quid pro quo at hearing 'Can't remember' Like Trump, a multimillionaire developer with a chain of high-end hotels, Sondland, who wore a $55,000 Breguet white gold watch to the hearing, fended off pressure from both Democrats and Republicans. He had not implicated the president in earlier private testimony when he answered scores of questions by saying he could "not remember". But subsequent testimony by other witnesses which had further implicated him in the Ukraine pressure scheme had jolted his memory, he said on Wednesday. While he confirmed the linkage between the investigations and a White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump, he would not attest to allegations that Trump froze $391 million in aid as well to Ukraine to add pressure on Ukraine. "I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on an announcement" of the investigations, he said, contradicting testimony from two other diplomats. Ukraine knew of aid freeze in July In separate testimony, a Pentagon official appeared to undermine a key Republican defence in the impeachment battle, that Kiev did not even know until late August or even September about the July 18 aid freeze, rendering moot Democrats' allegations that Trump had extorted Ukraine. Laura Cooper, the Pentagon official in charge of Ukraine affairs, said Kiev voiced concern over a holdup in aid on July 25. That was the same day that Trump told Zelensky in a phone call that he wanted a favour, asking for investigations into Biden specifically and the 2016 conspiracy theory. "The Ukrainian embassy staff asked, 'What is going on with Ukrainian security assistance?" she told the committee. At the White House, Trump denied making the demand of Zelensky, citing Sondland's own recall of their September 9 phone call on the Ukraine issue. Reading from large-print notes, he said that he told Sonderland: "I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelensky to do the right thing." "If this were a prizefight, they'd stop it!" he said of the inquiry. Speaking at the Democrats' debate, Biden dodged a question on the role of his son but said the testimony had shown that "Donald Trump doesn't want me to be the nominee." And Bernie Sanders, another of the frontrunners for the nomination, said Trump had been shown to be "not only a pathological liar" but also "the most corrupt president in the modern history of America".

Trump ordered Ukraine deal to probe Biden: US diplomat Sondland

President Donald Trump's visit to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/gary-oldman-to-star-in-apple-tv-drama-series-slow-horses-262526">Apple's Texas</a> manufacturing plant represents a truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook.

The visit will give the US leader a chance to hail American manufacturing and step back, at least temporarily, from his tirade against big technology firms.

Apple announced in September it would keep making its Mac Pro computer in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers.

The developments show an unusual Trump-Cook relationship in sharp contrast with the president's attacks on other tech giants.

"On the face of it, it's an unlikely relationship," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the sector.

Cook, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, has been able to sidestep much of Trump's anger by being "very diplomatic," Kay said.

"He's not saying 'I love Trump,' but he's not saying 'I hate Trump,'" said Kay.

"He hasn't made any disparaging public comments. By not ruffling Trump's feathers he's gotten quite a lot out of it."

Cook and Trump remain far apart on a number of issues including trade and immigration, with Apple opposing the White House plan to end protection&nbsp;for so-called "dreamers" who came to the US as children.

While Apple has acknowledged it has paid some tariffs imposed by Trump on goods imported from China, the iPhone maker has so far avoided a major impact from the trade friction.

Sidestepping Trump tirades

Trump, who has called Google and social media firms "biased" and been especially critical of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos,&nbsp;accusing him of using his personal investment in the Washington Post for politics, has had mostly praise for the Apple CEO.

"Other companies hire very expensive consultants," Trump said in August. "But the only one who calls me is Tim Cook. He calls me whenever there's a problem."

Trump, who once referred to the CEO as "Tim Apple," appears to be forging a friendly relationship with Cook even when he offers criticism.

In one tweet, he seemed to fret over the design of the latest iPhones which no longer have a home button.

"To Tim: The Button on the iPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!" Trump wrote.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Cook has quietly cultivated his relationship with Trump through the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom advise the president.

Trump appears to have softened some of his positions on tariffs after hearing Cook's argument that punishing Apple would help foreign rivals such as Samsung.

"Tim Cook has gone out of his way it seems to develop a relationship with President Trump because he was concerned I'm sure of the potential impact on the business" from Trump's policies, said Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research.

Because most of Apple products are manufactured in China, "there was a potentially large impact on profitability," O'Donnell said.

"Tim Cook is trying to be pragmatic and trying to address the issue by tackling it head-on."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-co-founder-says-apple-card-algorithm-gave-wife-lower-credit-limit-261266">Apple</a>, which benefited from legislation signed by Trump that reduced taxes on repatriated profits from 35 to 15 per cent, has responded to White House efforts by pledging to invest $350 billion in the US economy by 2023 through its own manufacturing and from suppliers.

O'Donnell said that Cook's efforts to forge a relationship with Trump has some risks as well in Silicon Valley, where the president is unpopular.

"I think some people who are Apple fans and don't like Trump find it a little disconcerting," O'Donnell said.

Kay said however that Apple employees and customers understand the needs of the business, and that Cook's efforts might even ease some of the tensions between the White House and the tech industry.

"Maybe Tim can create&nbsp;a rosier halo around Silicon Valley," Kay said.

"If he puts a human face on Silicon Valley, it could give Trump a slightly different view."

President Donald Trump's visit to Apple's Texas manufacturing plant represents a truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook.

President Donald Trump's visit to Apple's Texas manufacturing plant represents a truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook. The visit will give the US leader a chance to hail American manufacturing and step back, at least temporarily, from his tirade against big technology firms. Apple announced in September it would keep making its Mac Pro computer in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers. The developments show an unusual Trump-Cook relationship in sharp contrast with the president's attacks on other tech giants. "On the face of it, it's an unlikely relationship," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the sector. Cook, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, has been able to sidestep much of Trump's anger by being "very diplomatic," Kay said. "He's not saying 'I love Trump,' but he's not saying 'I hate Trump,'" said Kay. "He hasn't made any disparaging public comments. By not ruffling Trump's feathers he's gotten quite a lot out of it." Cook and Trump remain far apart on a number of issues including trade and immigration, with Apple opposing the White House plan to end protection for so-called "dreamers" who came to the US as children. While Apple has acknowledged it has paid some tariffs imposed by Trump on goods imported from China, the iPhone maker has so far avoided a major impact from the trade friction. Sidestepping Trump tirades Trump, who has called Google and social media firms "biased" and been especially critical of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, accusing him of using his personal investment in the Washington Post for politics, has had mostly praise for the Apple CEO. "Other companies hire very expensive consultants," Trump said in August. "But the only one who calls me is Tim Cook. He calls me whenever there's a problem." Trump, who once referred to the CEO as "Tim Apple," appears to be forging a friendly relationship with Cook even when he offers criticism. In one tweet, he seemed to fret over the design of the latest iPhones which no longer have a home button. "To Tim: The Button on the iPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!" Trump wrote. According to the Wall Street Journal, Cook has quietly cultivated his relationship with Trump through the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom advise the president. Trump appears to have softened some of his positions on tariffs after hearing Cook's argument that punishing Apple would help foreign rivals such as Samsung. "Tim Cook has gone out of his way it seems to develop a relationship with President Trump because he was concerned I'm sure of the potential impact on the business" from Trump's policies, said Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research. Because most of Apple products are manufactured in China, "there was a potentially large impact on profitability," O'Donnell said. "Tim Cook is trying to be pragmatic and trying to address the issue by tackling it head-on." Apple, which benefited from legislation signed by Trump that reduced taxes on repatriated profits from 35 to 15 per cent, has responded to White House efforts by pledging to invest $350 billion in the US economy by 2023 through its own manufacturing and from suppliers. O'Donnell said that Cook's efforts to forge a relationship with Trump has some risks as well in Silicon Valley, where the president is unpopular. "I think some people who are Apple fans and don't like Trump find it a little disconcerting," O'Donnell said. Kay said however that Apple employees and customers understand the needs of the business, and that Cook's efforts might even ease some of the tensions between the White House and the tech industry. "Maybe Tim can create a rosier halo around Silicon Valley," Kay said. "If he puts a human face on Silicon Valley, it could give Trump a slightly different view."

Trump-Cook meeting to culminate with visit to Apple factory

The phone call between US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the centre of Congress' <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-hearing-in-closed-door-session-white-house-budget-official-to-testify-on-military-aid-to-ukraine-262610">impeachment investigation</a> was "inappropriate," a foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released on Saturday.

Jennifer Williams, who was listening to the call on July 25, testified that Trump's insistence that Ukraine carry out politically sensitive investigations "struck me as unusual and inappropriate."

The House of Representatives on Saturday also released a transcript of an earlier closed-door deposition by Tim Morrison, a White House aide with the National Security Council focusing on Europe and Russia policy.

As did Williams, Morrison told lawmakers he had concerns about <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/its-very-intimidating-yovanovitch-on-trump-during-impeachment-hearing-262483">Trump's remarks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a>. Williams and Morrison are scheduled to testify publicly next week.

"I was not comfortable with any idea that President Zelenskiy should allow himself to be involved in our politics," said Morrison, who also was on the call.

Trump's call is at the heart of the Democratic-led inquiry into whether the Republican president misused US&nbsp;foreign policy to undermine former US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden, one of his potential opponents in the 2020 election.

Morrison declined to say he thought the call was illegal or improper, stressing instead that he thought it would leak, and damage relations with Ukraine.

In a disclosure that drew the most attention in the first public hearing last week, acting ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US&nbsp;security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated.

Morrison said he had reviewed Taylor's testimony and did not dispute it on any significant points.

House investigators on Saturday also heard closed-door testimony from a White House budget official about the holdup of military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sandy, a career official of the Office of Management and Budget, is the first person from OMB to testify before the inquiry after three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear.

Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the Judiciary and Oversight Committees, said Sandy was brought in to shed light on whether military aid was held up for political reasons.

"This is a technical part of our investigation," Raskin told reporters outside the interview room. "We want to know exactly how the president translated his political objective to shake down the Ukrainian government for the favours he wanted (into) the budget process."

On Friday, Trump used Twitter to criticize a former US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing, an extraordinary moment that Democrats said amounted to witness intimidation.&nbsp;Trump defended his attack on Yovanovitch, saying he had the right to free speech.

Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, testified on the second day of televised impeachment hearings, which will resume next week.

While Yovanovitch's testimony dominated headlines on Friday, a closed-door deposition lawmakers held later in the day with David Holmes, a US&nbsp;embassy official in Kiev, could prove more consequential.

Holmes told lawmakers he overheard a phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union, in which the president inquired about Ukraine's willingness to carry out investigations of Biden and his son.

The phone call occurred on July 26, one day after the now-infamous phone conversation between Trump and Zelenskiy.

"So, he's gonna do the investigation?" <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/michael-bloomberg-to-launch-100-million-digital-anti-trump-campaign-262468">Trump</a> asked Sondland, referring to Zelenskiy, according to Holmes' testimony.

"He's gonna do it," replied Sondland, adding the Ukrainian president would do "anything you ask him to," according to Holmes.

The testimony by Holmes, an aide to Taylor, ties Trump more directly to a pressure campaign in Ukraine to investigate the Bidens led by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Holmes' statement appears to contradict Sondland's previous sworn testimony about his interactions with Trump, in which he did not mention his July 26 phone call with the president.

Sondland, who has already revised his testimony once, is scheduled to testify publicly on Wednesday.

Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Saturday that House leaders were considering bringing Holmes in for a public hearing.

The phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the centre of Congress' impeachment investigation was "inappropriate," a foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released on Saturday.

The phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the centre of Congress' impeachment investigation was "inappropriate," a foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released on Saturday. Jennifer Williams, who was listening to the call on July 25, testified that Trump's insistence that Ukraine carry out politically sensitive investigations "struck me as unusual and inappropriate." The House of Representatives on Saturday also released a transcript of an earlier closed-door deposition by Tim Morrison, a White House aide with the National Security Council focusing on Europe and Russia policy. As did Williams, Morrison told lawmakers he had concerns about Trump's remarks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Williams and Morrison are scheduled to testify publicly next week. "I was not comfortable with any idea that President Zelenskiy should allow himself to be involved in our politics," said Morrison, who also was on the call. Trump's call is at the heart of the Democratic-led inquiry into whether the Republican president misused US foreign policy to undermine former US Vice President Joe Biden, one of his potential opponents in the 2020 election. Morrison declined to say he thought the call was illegal or improper, stressing instead that he thought it would leak, and damage relations with Ukraine. In a disclosure that drew the most attention in the first public hearing last week, acting ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated. Morrison said he had reviewed Taylor's testimony and did not dispute it on any significant points. House investigators on Saturday also heard closed-door testimony from a White House budget official about the holdup of military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sandy, a career official of the Office of Management and Budget, is the first person from OMB to testify before the inquiry after three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the Judiciary and Oversight Committees, said Sandy was brought in to shed light on whether military aid was held up for political reasons. "This is a technical part of our investigation," Raskin told reporters outside the interview room. "We want to know exactly how the president translated his political objective to shake down the Ukrainian government for the favours he wanted (into) the budget process." On Friday, Trump used Twitter to criticize a former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing, an extraordinary moment that Democrats said amounted to witness intimidation. Trump defended his attack on Yovanovitch, saying he had the right to free speech. Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, testified on the second day of televised impeachment hearings, which will resume next week. While Yovanovitch's testimony dominated headlines on Friday, a closed-door deposition lawmakers held later in the day with David Holmes, a US embassy official in Kiev, could prove more consequential. Holmes told lawmakers he overheard a phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, in which the president inquired about Ukraine's willingness to carry out investigations of Biden and his son. The phone call occurred on July 26, one day after the now-infamous phone conversation between Trump and Zelenskiy. "So, he's gonna do the investigation?" Trump asked Sondland, referring to Zelenskiy, according to Holmes' testimony. "He's gonna do it," replied Sondland, adding the Ukrainian president would do "anything you ask him to," according to Holmes. The testimony by Holmes, an aide to Taylor, ties Trump more directly to a pressure campaign in Ukraine to investigate the Bidens led by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Holmes' statement appears to contradict Sondland's previous sworn testimony about his interactions with Trump, in which he did not mention his July 26 phone call with the president. Sondland, who has already revised his testimony once, is scheduled to testify publicly on Wednesday. Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Saturday that House leaders were considering bringing Holmes in for a public hearing.

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The top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, testifying on Wednesday in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-impeachment-saga-americans-watch-trump-probe-live-on-tv-261932">first televised hearing</a> of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, linked him more directly to a pressure campaign on Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit him politically.

William Taylor was one of two career diplomats who testified before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee as a crucial new phase began in the impeachment inquiry, which threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in 2020.

Both Taylor and George Kent testified about the pressure Trump and allies applied to get Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden over his son's business dealings in Ukraine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-hearing-us-president-prioritised-biden-investigation-over-ukraine-aid-says-witness-261921">Their testimony</a> was calm and forceful, but it was not clear whether it would help Democrats break through a partisan divide and convince more Americans that the Republican president has committed misdeeds worthy of ousting him from office.

In a disclosure that drew the most attention, Taylor, acting ambassador to Ukraine, pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden, a former vice president, and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US&nbsp;security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated.

Taylor said a member of his staff overheard a July 26 phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, a former Trump political donor appointed as a senior diplomat, in which Trump asked about those investigations and Sondland told him the Ukrainians were ready to proceed.

After that conversation - which occurred a day after Trump had asked Ukraine's president during a phone call to conduct the investigations - the staff member asked Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union, what Trump thought about Ukraine, Taylor said.

"Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for," Taylor testified, referring to Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

Asked by Adam Schiff, the committee's Democratic chairman, if that meant Trump cared more about the investigations than about Ukraine, Taylor said: "Yes, sir."

Taylor, who was appointed by Trump in June, also said withholding military aid from Ukraine, which has been locked in conflict with Russia since Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, undermined US&nbsp;strategic interests.

"It was counterproductive to all of what we had been trying to do. It was illogical ... It was crazy," he said.

At a White House news conference with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after the hearing ended, Trump said he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland that Taylor said his aide overheard.

"It's the first time I heard it," said Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing.

David Holmes, a Taylor aide subpoenaed to testify behind closed doors on Friday in the impeachment inquiry, is the staffer who overheard the call that Sondland made to Trump from Ukraine, said a person familiar with the issue.

Republican lawmakers called Taylor's account hearsay and noted Ukraine's president has not said he felt pressured by Trump.

&nbsp;

In Pictures:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/trump-impeachment-what-rules-will-the-house-use-in-televised-hearings-261826">Trump impeachment: What rules will the House use in televised hearings?</a>

&nbsp;

With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, Schiff opened the historic session - the first impeachment drama in two decades - in an ornate hearing room packed with journalists, lawmakers and members of the public. The contentious hearing lasted 5-1/2 hours.

Schiff and other Democrats accused Trump of abusing his power while the panel's senior Republican, Devin Nunes, denied that Trump and his aides improperly pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election.

Taylor and Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, detailed the evidence they saw that US&nbsp;security aid - as well as a meeting with Trump at the White House - was withheld from Ukraine as leverage over Kiev.

"The questions presented by this impeachment inquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit that ally's vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said. "Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency, but the future of the presidency itself."

Schiff added: "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?"

This week's sessions, where Americans are hearing directly for the first time from people involved in events that sparked the congressional inquiry, may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump.

That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of those charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

The inquiry is being conducted as the 2020 presidential campaign gathers steam. Opinion polls show Democrats strongly back impeachment and Republicans strongly oppose, leaving both parties appealing to a small sliver of the public - independents and others who have not made up their minds.

During his news conference with Erdogan, Trump said he had been too busy to watch the hearing. "I hear it's a joke," he said. "This is a sham and shouldn't be allowed."

Nunes accused Democrats of conducting a "carefully orchestrated smear campaign" and said they had combined with the media and "partisan bureaucrats" to try to overturn the results of the 2016 election won by Trump.

He hewed to the Republican strategy of arguing Trump did nothing wrong in asking Ukraine's new president to investigate Biden, calling it "an impeachment process in search of a crime."

The focus of the inquiry is on the July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US&nbsp;election. Hunter Biden had been a board member for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma.

Democrats say Trump abused his power by withholding the security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting the investigations.

The money, approved by the US&nbsp;Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country, was later provided to Ukraine.

Both witnesses remained calm and unflappable throughout the marathon session. Taylor said at the outset: "I am not here to take one side or the other, or to advocate for any particular outcome of these proceedings."

Republican Jim Jordan, a forceful Trump ally, told Taylor: "You're their star witness," referring to the Democrats.

"I don't consider myself a star witness for anything," Taylor responded.

Taylor, a former US&nbsp;Army officer, previously served as US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine and is now the chargé d'affaires of the US&nbsp;Embassy in Kiev. Kent oversees Ukraine policy at the State Department.

"I do not believe the United States should ask other countries to engage in selective, politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents of those in power, because such selective actions undermine the rule of law regardless of the country," Kent said.

Taylor said he found two channels of US&nbsp;policy toward Ukraine - one regular and one "highly irregular" - and recounted how a Trump meeting with the Ukrainian president was improperly conditioned on Kiev agreeing to investigate Burisma and the debunked notion of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.

Taylor said he became aware that a hold on the security aid was contingent on Ukraine opening the investigations, which was alarming to him because it entailed "security assistance to a country at war."

Trump has derided some of the current and former US&nbsp;officials who have appeared before committees as "Never Trumpers" - a term referring to Republican opponents of the president whom he has called "human scum."

Asked during the hearing whether they are "never Trumpers," Taylor responded: "No, Sir," and Kent noted he had worked as a diplomat under presidents of both parties.

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, testifying on Wednesday in the first televised hearing of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, linked him more directly to a pressure campaign on Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit him politically.

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, testifying on Wednesday in the first televised hearing of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, linked him more directly to a pressure campaign on Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit him politically. William Taylor was one of two career diplomats who testified before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee as a crucial new phase began in the impeachment inquiry, which threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in 2020. Both Taylor and George Kent testified about the pressure Trump and allies applied to get Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden over his son's business dealings in Ukraine. Their testimony was calm and forceful, but it was not clear whether it would help Democrats break through a partisan divide and convince more Americans that the Republican president has committed misdeeds worthy of ousting him from office. In a disclosure that drew the most attention, Taylor, acting ambassador to Ukraine, pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden, a former vice president, and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated. Taylor said a member of his staff overheard a July 26 phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, a former Trump political donor appointed as a senior diplomat, in which Trump asked about those investigations and Sondland told him the Ukrainians were ready to proceed. After that conversation - which occurred a day after Trump had asked Ukraine's president during a phone call to conduct the investigations - the staff member asked Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, what Trump thought about Ukraine, Taylor said. "Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for," Taylor testified, referring to Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Asked by Adam Schiff, the committee's Democratic chairman, if that meant Trump cared more about the investigations than about Ukraine, Taylor said: "Yes, sir." Taylor, who was appointed by Trump in June, also said withholding military aid from Ukraine, which has been locked in conflict with Russia since Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, undermined US strategic interests. "It was counterproductive to all of what we had been trying to do. It was illogical ... It was crazy," he said. At a White House news conference with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after the hearing ended, Trump said he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland that Taylor said his aide overheard. "It's the first time I heard it," said Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing. David Holmes, a Taylor aide subpoenaed to testify behind closed doors on Friday in the impeachment inquiry, is the staffer who overheard the call that Sondland made to Trump from Ukraine, said a person familiar with the issue. Republican lawmakers called Taylor's account hearsay and noted Ukraine's president has not said he felt pressured by Trump. In Pictures: Trump impeachment: What rules will the House use in televised hearings? With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, Schiff opened the historic session - the first impeachment drama in two decades - in an ornate hearing room packed with journalists, lawmakers and members of the public. The contentious hearing lasted 5-1/2 hours. Schiff and other Democrats accused Trump of abusing his power while the panel's senior Republican, Devin Nunes, denied that Trump and his aides improperly pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election. Taylor and Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, detailed the evidence they saw that US security aid - as well as a meeting with Trump at the White House - was withheld from Ukraine as leverage over Kiev. "The questions presented by this impeachment inquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit that ally's vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said. "Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency, but the future of the presidency itself." Schiff added: "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?" This week's sessions, where Americans are hearing directly for the first time from people involved in events that sparked the congressional inquiry, may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of those charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal. The inquiry is being conducted as the 2020 presidential campaign gathers steam. Opinion polls show Democrats strongly back impeachment and Republicans strongly oppose, leaving both parties appealing to a small sliver of the public - independents and others who have not made up their minds. During his news conference with Erdogan, Trump said he had been too busy to watch the hearing. "I hear it's a joke," he said. "This is a sham and shouldn't be allowed." Nunes accused Democrats of conducting a "carefully orchestrated smear campaign" and said they had combined with the media and "partisan bureaucrats" to try to overturn the results of the 2016 election won by Trump. He hewed to the Republican strategy of arguing Trump did nothing wrong in asking Ukraine's new president to investigate Biden, calling it "an impeachment process in search of a crime." The focus of the inquiry is on the July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US election. Hunter Biden had been a board member for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. Democrats say Trump abused his power by withholding the security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting the investigations. The money, approved by the US Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country, was later provided to Ukraine. Both witnesses remained calm and unflappable throughout the marathon session. Taylor said at the outset: "I am not here to take one side or the other, or to advocate for any particular outcome of these proceedings." Republican Jim Jordan, a forceful Trump ally, told Taylor: "You're their star witness," referring to the Democrats. "I don't consider myself a star witness for anything," Taylor responded. Taylor, a former US Army officer, previously served as US ambassador to Ukraine and is now the chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in Kiev. Kent oversees Ukraine policy at the State Department. "I do not believe the United States should ask other countries to engage in selective, politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents of those in power, because such selective actions undermine the rule of law regardless of the country," Kent said. Taylor said he found two channels of US policy toward Ukraine - one regular and one "highly irregular" - and recounted how a Trump meeting with the Ukrainian president was improperly conditioned on Kiev agreeing to investigate Burisma and the debunked notion of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election. Taylor said he became aware that a hold on the security aid was contingent on Ukraine opening the investigations, which was alarming to him because it entailed "security assistance to a country at war." Trump has derided some of the current and former US officials who have appeared before committees as "Never Trumpers" - a term referring to Republican opponents of the president whom he has called "human scum." Asked during the hearing whether they are "never Trumpers," Taylor responded: "No, Sir," and Kent noted he had worked as a diplomat under presidents of both parties.

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At the 2012 opening of Trump Towers in Istanbul, real estate mogul Donald Trump sang the praises of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tayyip-erdogan-says-united-states-not-fulfilling-syria-deal-ahead-of-doanld-trump-talks-260531">Tayyip Erdogan</a>, telling a mostly Turkish audience that their leader, prime minister at the time, was "highly respected" around the world.

"He's a good man. He's just representing you very well," Trump said at the ceremony.

Since becoming the US&nbsp;president, Trump has openly complimented Erdogan and his combative ruling style, calling him "a friend" and "hell of a leader."

Such fondness from Trump for the Turkish president, who is due to meet with him at the White House on Wednesday, is seen by many as the only reason why relations between Turkey and the United States have not completely collapsed, having soured severely over their disagreements on a host of issues.

"The two leaders have an affinity for each other as strongman presidents," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, while warning of the deep animosity within the bureaucracies of the two NATO allies.

"The Erdogan-Trump part of the US-Turkey relationship is really the only component of it that is currently working right now," Cagaptay said. "Confidence between government agencies of both countries has eroded and there is considerable anger towards the US&nbsp;in Turkey and vice versa."

Washington and Ankara hit a new crisis point last month over Syria after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-kurdish-fighters-have-not-left-syria-safe-zone-despite-us-russia-deals-260109">Erdogan began a cross-border incursion</a> against America's Kurdish allies and upended the US&nbsp;presence there. Months earlier, the United States was livid over Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defence systems.

Turkey shrugged off threats of US&nbsp;sanctions and began receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. In response, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, in which Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer. But so far, it has not imposed any sanctions.

The move infuriated the US&nbsp;Congress, whose anger toward Turkey deepened following Ankara's offensive into Syria to drive out the Kurdish militia, Washington's main partner in the fight against Islamic State.

The US&nbsp;House of Representatives last month passed a sanctions package to punish Turkey over its Syria operation while key members of the Senate, including Trump ally Lindsey Graham, have vowed to advance it if Ankara endangers Kurds.

The House has also voted in favour of a non-binding resolution recognizing as genocide the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians 100 years ago, for the first time, angering Ankara. Some lawmakers on Monday asked Trump in a letter to rescind the invitation to Erdogan.

Erdogan has managed to avoid sanctions so far, but on Sunday, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said the threat was real. "If Turkey doesn't get rid of the S-400, I mean, there will likely be sanctions. ... Turkey will feel the impact of those sanctions," he told CBS News.

Washington wants S-400S abandoned

The issues straining the NATO allies stretch well beyond Syria and Russia. While <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-erdogan-speaks-with-trump-to-visit-washington-next-week-260443">Washington has largely stayed quiet</a> in the face of an increasingly authoritarian Erdogan, it wants Ankara to drop charges against US&nbsp;consular workers prosecuted in Turkey.

For Ankara, its long-standing extradition request for US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it blames for orchestrating the 2016 failed coup, and US&nbsp;charges on Turkey's state-owned Halkbank for Iran sanctions-busting are also contentious.

"We are of the same opinion with President Trump to solve problems and to improve our relations despite clouds in our bilateral ties," Erdogan told reporters before his flight to Washington. "We have made significant progress on several issues despite bureaucratic and political sabotage attempts by some remnants of the previous administration."

For Wednesday, the Trump administration's main goals are to get Erdogan to drop plans to use the S-400s and to agree to a permanent ceasefire in Syria, a senior administration official said. "We want to lock that in," the official said, referring to both issues.

If Turkey agrees, Washington could eventually allow Ankara back on the F-35 fighter jet program and offer to sign a $100 billion trade agreement, two US&nbsp;officials said. But Ankara has yet to signal a reversal.

"Something like Turkey taking a step back from its purchase of S-400s is not on the agenda," a senior Turkish official said.

Since his announcement last December to pull out all troops from Syria, Trump has softened plans and agreed to keep a residual force in the northeastern part of the country. As part of that plan, Washington wants to continue working with SDF fighters in the region to press on Islamic State, a move Ankara dislikes.

"US&nbsp;soldiers remaining at oil fields in Syria are also against the spirit of what is being done in Syria," the Turkish official said. "The support the United States provides the YPG is one of the biggest threats to ties between the two countries in the coming period. This will be underlined very seriously during the visit," he said.

Despite the disagreements, Ankara remains hopeful, citing a warm telephone conversation between the two leaders last week. "With Trump's personal support, I believe the visit will contribute to overcoming problems. The phone call gave serious indications of this," the official added.

At the 2012 opening of Trump Towers in Istanbul, real estate mogul Donald Trump sang the praises of Tayyip Erdogan, telling a mostly Turkish audience that their leader, prime minister at the time, was "highly respected" around the world.

At the 2012 opening of Trump Towers in Istanbul, real estate mogul Donald Trump sang the praises of Tayyip Erdogan, telling a mostly Turkish audience that their leader, prime minister at the time, was "highly respected" around the world. "He's a good man. He's just representing you very well," Trump said at the ceremony. Since becoming the US president, Trump has openly complimented Erdogan and his combative ruling style, calling him "a friend" and "hell of a leader." Such fondness from Trump for the Turkish president, who is due to meet with him at the White House on Wednesday, is seen by many as the only reason why relations between Turkey and the United States have not completely collapsed, having soured severely over their disagreements on a host of issues. "The two leaders have an affinity for each other as strongman presidents," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, while warning of the deep animosity within the bureaucracies of the two NATO allies. "The Erdogan-Trump part of the US-Turkey relationship is really the only component of it that is currently working right now," Cagaptay said. "Confidence between government agencies of both countries has eroded and there is considerable anger towards the US in Turkey and vice versa." Washington and Ankara hit a new crisis point last month over Syria after Erdogan began a cross-border incursion against America's Kurdish allies and upended the US presence there. Months earlier, the United States was livid over Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defence systems. Turkey shrugged off threats of US sanctions and began receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. In response, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, in which Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer. But so far, it has not imposed any sanctions. The move infuriated the US Congress, whose anger toward Turkey deepened following Ankara's offensive into Syria to drive out the Kurdish militia, Washington's main partner in the fight against Islamic State. The US House of Representatives last month passed a sanctions package to punish Turkey over its Syria operation while key members of the Senate, including Trump ally Lindsey Graham, have vowed to advance it if Ankara endangers Kurds. The House has also voted in favour of a non-binding resolution recognizing as genocide the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians 100 years ago, for the first time, angering Ankara. Some lawmakers on Monday asked Trump in a letter to rescind the invitation to Erdogan. Erdogan has managed to avoid sanctions so far, but on Sunday, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said the threat was real. "If Turkey doesn't get rid of the S-400, I mean, there will likely be sanctions. ... Turkey will feel the impact of those sanctions," he told CBS News. Washington wants S-400S abandoned The issues straining the NATO allies stretch well beyond Syria and Russia. While Washington has largely stayed quiet in the face of an increasingly authoritarian Erdogan, it wants Ankara to drop charges against US consular workers prosecuted in Turkey. For Ankara, its long-standing extradition request for US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it blames for orchestrating the 2016 failed coup, and US charges on Turkey's state-owned Halkbank for Iran sanctions-busting are also contentious. "We are of the same opinion with President Trump to solve problems and to improve our relations despite clouds in our bilateral ties," Erdogan told reporters before his flight to Washington. "We have made significant progress on several issues despite bureaucratic and political sabotage attempts by some remnants of the previous administration." For Wednesday, the Trump administration's main goals are to get Erdogan to drop plans to use the S-400s and to agree to a permanent ceasefire in Syria, a senior administration official said. "We want to lock that in," the official said, referring to both issues. If Turkey agrees, Washington could eventually allow Ankara back on the F-35 fighter jet program and offer to sign a $100 billion trade agreement, two US officials said. But Ankara has yet to signal a reversal. "Something like Turkey taking a step back from its purchase of S-400s is not on the agenda," a senior Turkish official said. Since his announcement last December to pull out all troops from Syria, Trump has softened plans and agreed to keep a residual force in the northeastern part of the country. As part of that plan, Washington wants to continue working with SDF fighters in the region to press on Islamic State, a move Ankara dislikes. "US soldiers remaining at oil fields in Syria are also against the spirit of what is being done in Syria," the Turkish official said. "The support the United States provides the YPG is one of the biggest threats to ties between the two countries in the coming period. This will be underlined very seriously during the visit," he said. Despite the disagreements, Ankara remains hopeful, citing a warm telephone conversation between the two leaders last week. "With Trump's personal support, I believe the visit will contribute to overcoming problems. The phone call gave serious indications of this," the official added.

Behind Trump-Erdogan 'bromance,' a White House meeting to repair US-Turkey ties

What to expect from Trump's televised impeachment hearings

President Donald Trump said Friday he has not agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports, dampening recent optimism for a major de-escalation in the US-China trade war.

Trump's remarks appeared to push back against Beijing's claims this week that the two sides had agreed to remove tariffs in stages as part of a partial deal announced last month.

Hopes for progress in defusing trade tensions have driven global stocks higher this month.&nbsp;

"They would like to have a rollback. I haven't agreed to anything,"&nbsp;Trump told reporters at the White House.&nbsp;

"China would like to get somewhat of a rollback, not a complete rollback, because they know I won't do it."

Beijing, however, said such this week the two sides had already agreed to mutual tariff reductions.

Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng announced Thursday US and Chinese officials had "agreed to roll back the additional tariffs in stages, as progress is made towards a (final) agreement."

The United States and China have imposed steep tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in two-way trade, and another round of US duties are set to hit on December 15 on $160 billion in Chinese goods.

Trump again said Beijing is eager for a deal because their economy is hurting, although economic data show the conflict has hit US businesses as well, and the uncertainty over the dispute between the economic powers is undermining global growth.

"They would like to make a deal much more than I do," Trump said, adding that the initial agreement will be signed "in our country," possibly in Iowa.

Investors worldwide have been cheered in recent days by reports quoting sources in Washington and Beijing saying duties already imposed could be removed in a proportional way.

But markets also have been buffeted by conflicting comments from White House officials, including China hardliner Peter Navarro who earlier Friday cast doubt on any plans to remove punitive duties.

"What is on the table is tariffs coming in December, December 15," Peter Navarro told NPR radio. "We would be willing I think,&nbsp;it's up to the president,&nbsp;to postpone those tariffs."

"But not roll back any existing tariffs. That's a fine distinction here."

White House economic aide Larry Kudlow was less categorical, telling Bloomberg on Thursday that if the sides reach a phase one trade deal, "there are going to be tariff agreements and concessions."

Trump administration officials, on the other hand, have been upbeat about the general prospects for a mini deal but without revealing any details.

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News Channel: "we are very, very optimistic that we will reach a deal soon."

President Donald Trump said Friday he has not agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports, dampening recent optimism for a major de-escalation in the US-China trade war.

President Donald Trump said Friday he has not agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports, dampening recent optimism for a major de-escalation in the US-China trade war. Trump's remarks appeared to push back against Beijing's claims this week that the two sides had agreed to remove tariffs in stages as part of a partial deal announced last month. Hopes for progress in defusing trade tensions have driven global stocks higher this month. "They would like to have a rollback. I haven't agreed to anything," Trump told reporters at the White House. "China would like to get somewhat of a rollback, not a complete rollback, because they know I won't do it." Beijing, however, said such this week the two sides had already agreed to mutual tariff reductions. Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng announced Thursday US and Chinese officials had "agreed to roll back the additional tariffs in stages, as progress is made towards a (final) agreement." The United States and China have imposed steep tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in two-way trade, and another round of US duties are set to hit on December 15 on $160 billion in Chinese goods. Trump again said Beijing is eager for a deal because their economy is hurting, although economic data show the conflict has hit US businesses as well, and the uncertainty over the dispute between the economic powers is undermining global growth. "They would like to make a deal much more than I do," Trump said, adding that the initial agreement will be signed "in our country," possibly in Iowa. Investors worldwide have been cheered in recent days by reports quoting sources in Washington and Beijing saying duties already imposed could be removed in a proportional way. But markets also have been buffeted by conflicting comments from White House officials, including China hardliner Peter Navarro who earlier Friday cast doubt on any plans to remove punitive duties. "What is on the table is tariffs coming in December, December 15," Peter Navarro told NPR radio. "We would be willing I think, it's up to the president, to postpone those tariffs." "But not roll back any existing tariffs. That's a fine distinction here." White House economic aide Larry Kudlow was less categorical, telling Bloomberg on Thursday that if the sides reach a phase one trade deal, "there are going to be tariff agreements and concessions." Trump administration officials, on the other hand, have been upbeat about the general prospects for a mini deal but without revealing any details. White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News Channel: "we are very, very optimistic that we will reach a deal soon."

No agreement on China tariff rollback: Trump

According to a report Trump wanted Barr to hold a press conference declaring that Trump had done nothing wrong in his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Trump wanted Bill Barr to defend Ukraine call in a news conference

A US appeals court ruled on Monday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-witnesses-are-no-shows-in-impeachment-probe-259947">President Donald Trump</a> must release eight years of tax returns, dealing a blow to his attempts to keep his personal earnings private.

The decision is the latest development in a years-long effort to obtain copies of Trump's taxes, which he promised during the campaign to make public after an audit but has since refused to share.

A three-judge panel in Manhattan rejected an appeal by the president's lawyers challenging a subpoena by New York prosecutors that demanded that his accounting firm hand over the records.

The federal judges, however, refused to take a position on claims by Trump's attorneys that as America's leader he is immune from any criminal investigation.

"We emphasize again the narrowness of the issue before us," they wrote in their decision.

"This appeal does not require us to consider whether the president is immune from indictment and prosecution while in office, nor to consider whether the president may lawfully be ordered to produce documents for use in a state criminal proceeding," the judges added.

The president's legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment but it is likely that the case will end up in the Supreme Court.

Trump had filed suit against Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr, a Democrat who had subpoenaed the accounting firm Mazars USA, seeking access to the president's returns dating back to 2011.

Vance is investigating payments made by Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who claimed to have had a sexual liaison with Trump before he ran for president in 2016.

Cohen is currently serving three years in prison after admitting paying hush money,&nbsp;in violation of campaign finance laws,&nbsp;to Daniels and another woman, tax fraud, and lying to Congress.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-threatens-to-withhold-emergency-aid-from-fire-hit-california-259805">Trump's lawyers</a> claimed in court that their client doesn't need to abide by Vance's injunction because as president of the United States he cannot be prosecuted for an offence.

But the judges ruled that presidential immunity was not an issue here because it was the accounting firm that had been subpoenaed for the documents.

Trump broke with a long-established norm during the 2016 presidential election by refusing to release his tax returns as most presidents have done since the 1970s even though it is not required by law.

He has claimed that they are under audit by the Internal Revenue Service, and there have been various attempts to obtain them, including by the Democratic-led House of Representatives.

A US appeals court ruled on Monday that President Donald Trump must release eight years of tax returns, dealing a blow to his attempts to keep his personal earnings private.

A US appeals court ruled on Monday that President Donald Trump must release eight years of tax returns, dealing a blow to his attempts to keep his personal earnings private. The decision is the latest development in a years-long effort to obtain copies of Trump's taxes, which he promised during the campaign to make public after an audit but has since refused to share. A three-judge panel in Manhattan rejected an appeal by the president's lawyers challenging a subpoena by New York prosecutors that demanded that his accounting firm hand over the records. The federal judges, however, refused to take a position on claims by Trump's attorneys that as America's leader he is immune from any criminal investigation. "We emphasize again the narrowness of the issue before us," they wrote in their decision. "This appeal does not require us to consider whether the president is immune from indictment and prosecution while in office, nor to consider whether the president may lawfully be ordered to produce documents for use in a state criminal proceeding," the judges added. The president's legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment but it is likely that the case will end up in the Supreme Court. Trump had filed suit against Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr, a Democrat who had subpoenaed the accounting firm Mazars USA, seeking access to the president's returns dating back to 2011. Vance is investigating payments made by Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who claimed to have had a sexual liaison with Trump before he ran for president in 2016. Cohen is currently serving three years in prison after admitting paying hush money, in violation of campaign finance laws, to Daniels and another woman, tax fraud, and lying to Congress. Trump's lawyers claimed in court that their client doesn't need to abide by Vance's injunction because as president of the United States he cannot be prosecuted for an offence. But the judges ruled that presidential immunity was not an issue here because it was the accounting firm that had been subpoenaed for the documents. Trump broke with a long-established norm during the 2016 presidential election by refusing to release his tax returns as most presidents have done since the 1970s even though it is not required by law. He has claimed that they are under audit by the Internal Revenue Service, and there have been various attempts to obtain them, including by the Democratic-led House of Representatives.

United States judges reject Trump appeal over tax returns

United States&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Sunday called on the whistleblower whose concerns prompted an impeachment enquiry to "come forward," appealing directly to the intelligence community employee is a stark departure from norms of conduct in such cases.

"The Whistleblower got it sooo wrong that HE must come forward. The Fake News Media knows who he is but, being an arm of the Democrat Party, don’t want to reveal him because there would be hell to pay. Reveal the Whistleblower and end the Impeachment Hoax!" Trump said in a Twitter post.

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The Whistleblower got it sooo wrong that HE must come forward. The Fake News Media knows who he is but, being an arm of the Democrat Party, don’t want to reveal him because there would be hell to pay. 
Reveal the Whistleblower and end the Impeachment Hoax!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1191000516580519937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The whistleblower whose complaint has shaken the&nbsp;<a href="watch: Trump meets Ukraine's Zelensky at United Nations">foundations of Donald Trump's presidency</a>&nbsp;is a male officer of the Central Intelligence Agency who was seconded to the White House, the New York Times reported earlier.

The man "was detailed to work at the White House at one point" but has since returned to the CIA, the Times said, citing three people familiar with his identity.

The complaint, which describes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-president-zelensky-calls-controversial-donald-trump-call-normal-252078">Trump using his powers to pressure the Ukraine government</a>&nbsp;to find damaging information on Democratic political rival Joe Biden, "suggested he was an analyst by training and made clear he was steeped in details of American foreign policy toward Europe," the Times said.

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday called on the whistleblower whose concerns prompted an impeachment enquiry to "come forward," appealing directly to the intelligence community employee is a stark departure from norms of conduct in such cases.

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday called on the whistleblower whose concerns prompted an impeachment enquiry to "come forward," appealing directly to the intelligence community employee is a stark departure from norms of conduct in such cases. "The Whistleblower got it sooo wrong that HE must come forward. The Fake News Media knows who he is but, being an arm of the Democrat Party, don’t want to reveal him because there would be hell to pay. Reveal the Whistleblower and end the Impeachment Hoax!" Trump said in a Twitter post. The Whistleblower got it sooo wrong that HE must come forward. The Fake News Media knows who he is but, being an arm of the Democrat Party, don’t want to reveal him because there would be hell to pay. Reveal the Whistleblower and end the Impeachment Hoax! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2019 × The whistleblower whose complaint has shaken the foundations of Donald Trump's presidency is a male officer of the Central Intelligence Agency who was seconded to the White House, the New York Times reported earlier. The man "was detailed to work at the White House at one point" but has since returned to the CIA, the Times said, citing three people familiar with his identity. The complaint, which describes Trump using his powers to pressure the Ukraine government to find damaging information on Democratic political rival Joe Biden, "suggested he was an analyst by training and made clear he was steeped in details of American foreign policy toward Europe," the Times said.

Trump calls on Ukraine whistleblower to 'come forward'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office has defended his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-wades-into-uk-election-with-attack-on-opposition-leader-and-brexit-warning-259176">Brexit deal with the European Union</a>, after US President Donald Trump warned it would make it impossible for the two nations to strike a future trade agreement.

The president, whose impeachment in the US has moved a stage closer following a key vote in Congress, waded into the British election campaign on Thursday to criticise Johnson's divorce terms with the European bloc.

"This deal... you can't do it, you can't trade. We can't make a trade deal with the UK," he said.

But a Downing Street spokesman later said the deal would allow the UK to strike "our own free trade deals around the world from which every part of the UK will benefit".

Trump's comments appear at odds with his previous pledge in September that he was working closely with Johnson to strike a "magnificent trade deal" once Britain left the EU.

The US president also launched a stinging attack on the country's main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and urged Johnson to unite with eurosceptic hardliner Nigel Farage, a key figure in the 2016 referendum on European Union membership.

"Corbyn would be so bad for your country," Trump told Farage during a phone interview broadcast on his talk show on British radio station LBC.

"He'd take you in such a bad way. He'd take you into such bad places."

"I'd like to see you and Boris get together... I think it'd be a great thing," Trump added.

Farage, whose new Brexit Party is campaigning for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-spins-towards-christmas-election-in-bid-to-break-brexit-deadlock-258700">Britain to leave the EU</a> without any deal in place, has urged Johnson to form an electoral alliance but has so far been rebuffed.&nbsp;

He is due to launch his party's election campaign on Friday.

'Trump trying to interfere'

Within minutes of the interview airing, Corbyn shot back on Twitter that "Trump is trying to interfere in Britain's election to get his friend Boris Johnson elected".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-election-campaign-kicks-off-on-no-brexit-day-259143">Johnson agreed new divorce terms</a> with the bloc's leaders earlier this month, ahead of the country's scheduled departure on Thursday. &nbsp;

But he was unable to push the plan through parliament and instead opted to hold a snap pre-Christmas election, blaming his Labour rivals for the latest Brexit delay and promising to now take the country out by a new January 31 deadline.

"If you vote for us and we get our programme through, which we will...&nbsp;we can be out, at the absolute latest, by January next year," Johnson said during a campaign stop Thursday at a hospital.

The Conservative leader is riding high in opinion polls going into the December 12 vote that will be Britain's third in four years.&nbsp;

But he risks a backlash over his unkept "do or die" promise to deliver Brexit on October 31 -- and has again set himself up for another potential fall by promising to meet the next deadline.

Pro-EU campaigners and business executives have breathed a sigh of relief that Britain avoided a Halloween Brexit nightmare that could have seen it crash out of the EU after 46 years without a plan.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office has defended his Brexit deal with the European Union, after US President Donald Trump warned it would make it impossible for the two nations to strike a future trade agreement.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office has defended his Brexit deal with the European Union, after US President Donald Trump warned it would make it impossible for the two nations to strike a future trade agreement. The president, whose impeachment in the US has moved a stage closer following a key vote in Congress, waded into the British election campaign on Thursday to criticise Johnson's divorce terms with the European bloc. "This deal... you can't do it, you can't trade. We can't make a trade deal with the UK," he said. But a Downing Street spokesman later said the deal would allow the UK to strike "our own free trade deals around the world from which every part of the UK will benefit". Trump's comments appear at odds with his previous pledge in September that he was working closely with Johnson to strike a "magnificent trade deal" once Britain left the EU. The US president also launched a stinging attack on the country's main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and urged Johnson to unite with eurosceptic hardliner Nigel Farage, a key figure in the 2016 referendum on European Union membership. "Corbyn would be so bad for your country," Trump told Farage during a phone interview broadcast on his talk show on British radio station LBC. "He'd take you in such a bad way. He'd take you into such bad places." "I'd like to see you and Boris get together... I think it'd be a great thing," Trump added. Farage, whose new Brexit Party is campaigning for Britain to leave the EU without any deal in place, has urged Johnson to form an electoral alliance but has so far been rebuffed. He is due to launch his party's election campaign on Friday. 'Trump trying to interfere' Within minutes of the interview airing, Corbyn shot back on Twitter that "Trump is trying to interfere in Britain's election to get his friend Boris Johnson elected". Johnson agreed new divorce terms with the bloc's leaders earlier this month, ahead of the country's scheduled departure on Thursday. But he was unable to push the plan through parliament and instead opted to hold a snap pre-Christmas election, blaming his Labour rivals for the latest Brexit delay and promising to now take the country out by a new January 31 deadline. "If you vote for us and we get our programme through, which we will... we can be out, at the absolute latest, by January next year," Johnson said during a campaign stop Thursday at a hospital. The Conservative leader is riding high in opinion polls going into the December 12 vote that will be Britain's third in four years. But he risks a backlash over his unkept "do or die" promise to deliver Brexit on October 31 -- and has again set himself up for another potential fall by promising to meet the next deadline. Pro-EU campaigners and business executives have breathed a sigh of relief that Britain avoided a Halloween Brexit nightmare that could have seen it crash out of the EU after 46 years without a plan.

United Kingdom defends Brexit deal after Trump's trade warning

Two United States&nbsp;State Department officials <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-to-vote-on-thursday-on-how-to-make-trump-impeachment-probe-public-258587">will testify</a> before House of Representatives investigators in the impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump on Wednesday while lawmakers prepare to weigh rules formalising the impeachment process ahead.

Ukraine specialists Catherine Croft and Christopher Anderson are set to appear before House committees a day after a senior White House official said Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate Democrat rivals raised national security concerns.

Later today, the House Rules Committee is scheduled to take up a resolution proposed by House Democrats laying out the procedures as they move forward with the impeachment of the Republican president.

The two career diplomats are expected to lay out how State Department officials' efforts to express support for Ukraine were stymied by the White House, The Washington Post reported, citing the pair's prepared remarks.

Their closed-door deposition will follow ten&nbsp;hours of testimony on Tuesday by the White House official, Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, who raised the alarm about Trump's request - during a July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,&nbsp;for Kiev to investigate Trump's political rival, former Democratic US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden.

The call is at the heart of the congressional enquiry into whether Trump misused the power of his office for personal political gain and, if so, whether that rises to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanours" that merit impeachment and removal from office under the Constitution.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

During the conversation, outlined in a memo released by the White House, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company.

He also sought an investigation into a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US&nbsp;election. Zelenskiy agreed to Trump's requests, according to the memo.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-lawmakers-hear-from-corroborating-witness-in-trump-impeachment-probe-258323">Trump made the request</a> after withholding nearly $400 million in security aid approved by Congress to help Ukraine fight Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Watch: Trump donors charged in Campaign Impeachment Probe

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-impeachment-probe-trump-donors-charged-in-campaign-impeachment-probe-255094/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Vindman, who as a Ukraine specialist listened to the Trump-Zelenskiy call, told lawmakers on Tuesday the readout of the conversation released by the White House left out information he had sought to include, the New York Times reported.

The rough transcript left out an assertion by Trump that there were recordings of Biden discussing corruption in Ukraine and Zelensky's explicit mention of Burisma, the Times said, citing three people familiar with his testimony.

More witnesses are expected later this week, including Timothy Morrison, the National Security Council Senior Director for Europe and Russia, on Thursday and Robert Blair, a senior adviser to acting White House chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, on Friday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/judge-validates-impeachment-enquiry-against-donald-trump-orders-mueller-document-release-258208">The House is expected to vote this week</a> on the formal process of moving forward with the impeachment inquiry after Republicans criticized the process as unfair to Trump.

Trump has urged his allies to directly tackle the allegations against him.

"This Impeachment nonsense is just a continuation of the Witch Hunt Hoax," he tweeted Wednesday morning, urging Republicans to "go with Substance and close it out!"

Two United States State Department officials will testify before House of Representatives investigators in the impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump on Wednesday while lawmakers prepare to weigh rules formalising the impeachment process ahead.

Two United States State Department officials will testify before House of Representatives investigators in the impeachment enquiry against President Donald Trump on Wednesday while lawmakers prepare to weigh rules formalising the impeachment process ahead. Ukraine specialists Catherine Croft and Christopher Anderson are set to appear before House committees a day after a senior White House official said Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate Democrat rivals raised national security concerns. Later today, the House Rules Committee is scheduled to take up a resolution proposed by House Democrats laying out the procedures as they move forward with the impeachment of the Republican president. The two career diplomats are expected to lay out how State Department officials' efforts to express support for Ukraine were stymied by the White House, The Washington Post reported, citing the pair's prepared remarks. Their closed-door deposition will follow ten hours of testimony on Tuesday by the White House official, Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, who raised the alarm about Trump's request - during a July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, for Kiev to investigate Trump's political rival, former Democratic US Vice President Joe Biden. The call is at the heart of the congressional enquiry into whether Trump misused the power of his office for personal political gain and, if so, whether that rises to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanours" that merit impeachment and removal from office under the Constitution. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. During the conversation, outlined in a memo released by the White House, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company. He also sought an investigation into a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election. Zelenskiy agreed to Trump's requests, according to the memo. Trump made the request after withholding nearly $400 million in security aid approved by Congress to help Ukraine fight Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Watch: Trump donors charged in Campaign Impeachment Probe Vindman, who as a Ukraine specialist listened to the Trump-Zelenskiy call, told lawmakers on Tuesday the readout of the conversation released by the White House left out information he had sought to include, the New York Times reported. The rough transcript left out an assertion by Trump that there were recordings of Biden discussing corruption in Ukraine and Zelensky's explicit mention of Burisma, the Times said, citing three people familiar with his testimony. More witnesses are expected later this week, including Timothy Morrison, the National Security Council Senior Director for Europe and Russia, on Thursday and Robert Blair, a senior adviser to acting White House chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, on Friday. The House is expected to vote this week on the formal process of moving forward with the impeachment inquiry after Republicans criticized the process as unfair to Trump. Trump has urged his allies to directly tackle the allegations against him. "This Impeachment nonsense is just a continuation of the Witch Hunt Hoax," he tweeted Wednesday morning, urging Republicans to "go with Substance and close it out!"

More witnesses to testify as United States House prepares impeachment rules

Trump Tweets The Picture Of The Dog Involved In The Operation That Killed Terrorist al-Baghdadi.

Gravitas: Meet 'Hero Dog' of 'Mission Baghdadi'

A senior United States&nbsp;diplomat on Saturday told lawmakers leading an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/judge-validates-impeachment-enquiry-against-donald-trump-orders-mueller-document-release-258208">impeachment enquiry</a> that he did not know whether President Donald Trump had withheld aid for Ukraine in an attempt force an investigation of a political rival, sources said, even as Democrats said his testimony corroborated other evidence gathered.

Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, spent about eight hours with the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees behind closed doors at the US&nbsp;Capitol.

Reeker told lawmakers he was unaware of whether US&nbsp;security aid to Ukraine was withheld to pressure Kiev to launch investigations that could have helped Trump's 2020 re-election bid, according to a source familiar with the matter.

At the end of Saturday's session, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff told reporters, "We're making rapid progress" in the impeachment enquiry. He declined to say when the panels might advance to the next phase of hearings open to the public.

The Democratic-led committees are conducting an enquiry focusing on Trump's request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he investigate former US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

US&nbsp;election law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election.

As part of their probe, the lawmakers are examining whether Trump withheld $391 million in security assistance until Zelenskiy publicly committed to both an investigation of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia,&nbsp;meddled in the US&nbsp;2016 presidential election.

Democrats emerging from the session said Reeker's deposition corroborated previous testimony taken by the panels.

But they offered no details and it was not clear what Reeker may have corroborated.

Representative Stephen Lynch told reporters that Reeker, whose portfolio includes Ukraine and Russia, was a "much richer reservoir of information than we originally expected."

But Reeker, according to a second source who asked not to be identified, was largely out of the loop on policy toward Ukraine, leaving it to Kurt Volker, then the US&nbsp;special representative for Ukraine negotiations, and others.

Republican Representative Mark Meadows, speaking to reporters as a long day of testimony was winding down, said it "was a good day for the president" and described Reeker as "a top-level official not giving any potential incriminating evidence."

Reeker submitted to questioning in response to a congressional subpoena that was issued after the State Department attempted to block his testimony, according to an official working on the impeachment inquiry.

The testimony was the first since a federal judge on Friday rejected a claim by Trump and his Republican allies that the Democrats' impeachment enquiry process was illegitimate because the full House had not voted to authorize it.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on September&nbsp;24 launched the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-to-unveil-measure-knocking-trump-impeachment-effort-258014">formal Trump probe</a> under her broad powers as the speaker.

Watch: Donald Trump claims he's a victim of a lynching

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-claims-hes-a-victim-of-lynching-257613/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Focus on Ukraine

At the heart of the enquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens and a claim,&nbsp;debunked as a conspiracy theory,&nbsp;that a Democratic National Committee computer server was in Ukraine.

William Taylor, the top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, testified on Tuesday that Trump made the withheld aid contingent on Zelenskiy announcing the requested investigations.

Reeker was unaware in the June-August period of the possibility Trump may have withheld the aid to pressure Zelenskiy, a second source said, adding that he knew the aid was delayed but did not know why. He testified that he heard resistance was coming from Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, the source said.

Trump denies wrongdoing and, backed by his fellow Republicans in Congress, insists he is being treated unfairly.

Reeker, 54, a career diplomat, is the latest in a growing list of current and former officials who have met with investigators.

Among the issues, the committees were expected to explore with Reeker was Trump's abrupt dismissal in May of the ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. According to emails given to congressional committees this month, Reeker sought to intervene when Trump supporters accused Yovanovitch of being disloyal to the president.

Reeker sought a stronger State Department defence of Yovanovitch, according to sources familiar with the matter, which never was provided.

The committees have scheduled several depositions for next week, all behind closed doors.

Charles Kupperman, a former deputy national security adviser to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-compares-impeachment-to-lynching-faces-backlash-257586">Trump</a>, who was called to appear on Monday, has asked a court whether he should comply with a congressional subpoena or honour the administration's instruction not to testify.

On Tuesday, lawmakers hope to hear from Alexander Vindman, the White House National Security Council's top Ukraine expert.

Kathryn Wheelbarger, acting assistant secretary of defence for international security, is scheduled to appear on Wednesday, and Tim Morrison, a top White House adviser on Russia and Europe, is scheduled for Thursday.

A senior United States diplomat on Saturday told lawmakers leading an impeachment enquiry that he did not know whether President Donald Trump had withheld aid for Ukraine in an attempt force an investigation of a political rival, sources said, even as Democrats said his testimony corroborated other evidence gathered.

A senior United States diplomat on Saturday told lawmakers leading an impeachment enquiry that he did not know whether President Donald Trump had withheld aid for Ukraine in an attempt force an investigation of a political rival, sources said, even as Democrats said his testimony corroborated other evidence gathered. Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, spent about eight hours with the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees behind closed doors at the US Capitol. Reeker told lawmakers he was unaware of whether US security aid to Ukraine was withheld to pressure Kiev to launch investigations that could have helped Trump's 2020 re-election bid, according to a source familiar with the matter. At the end of Saturday's session, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff told reporters, "We're making rapid progress" in the impeachment enquiry. He declined to say when the panels might advance to the next phase of hearings open to the public. The Democratic-led committees are conducting an enquiry focusing on Trump's request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he investigate former US Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. US election law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election. As part of their probe, the lawmakers are examining whether Trump withheld $391 million in security assistance until Zelenskiy publicly committed to both an investigation of the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the US 2016 presidential election. Democrats emerging from the session said Reeker's deposition corroborated previous testimony taken by the panels. But they offered no details and it was not clear what Reeker may have corroborated. Representative Stephen Lynch told reporters that Reeker, whose portfolio includes Ukraine and Russia, was a "much richer reservoir of information than we originally expected." But Reeker, according to a second source who asked not to be identified, was largely out of the loop on policy toward Ukraine, leaving it to Kurt Volker, then the US special representative for Ukraine negotiations, and others. Republican Representative Mark Meadows, speaking to reporters as a long day of testimony was winding down, said it "was a good day for the president" and described Reeker as "a top-level official not giving any potential incriminating evidence." Reeker submitted to questioning in response to a congressional subpoena that was issued after the State Department attempted to block his testimony, according to an official working on the impeachment inquiry. The testimony was the first since a federal judge on Friday rejected a claim by Trump and his Republican allies that the Democrats' impeachment enquiry process was illegitimate because the full House had not voted to authorize it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on September 24 launched the formal Trump probe under her broad powers as the speaker. Watch: Donald Trump claims he's a victim of a lynching Focus on Ukraine At the heart of the enquiry is a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens and a claim, debunked as a conspiracy theory, that a Democratic National Committee computer server was in Ukraine. William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, testified on Tuesday that Trump made the withheld aid contingent on Zelenskiy announcing the requested investigations. Reeker was unaware in the June-August period of the possibility Trump may have withheld the aid to pressure Zelenskiy, a second source said, adding that he knew the aid was delayed but did not know why. He testified that he heard resistance was coming from Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, the source said. Trump denies wrongdoing and, backed by his fellow Republicans in Congress, insists he is being treated unfairly. Reeker, 54, a career diplomat, is the latest in a growing list of current and former officials who have met with investigators. Among the issues, the committees were expected to explore with Reeker was Trump's abrupt dismissal in May of the ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. According to emails given to congressional committees this month, Reeker sought to intervene when Trump supporters accused Yovanovitch of being disloyal to the president. Reeker sought a stronger State Department defence of Yovanovitch, according to sources familiar with the matter, which never was provided. The committees have scheduled several depositions for next week, all behind closed doors. Charles Kupperman, a former deputy national security adviser to Trump, who was called to appear on Monday, has asked a court whether he should comply with a congressional subpoena or honour the administration's instruction not to testify. On Tuesday, lawmakers hope to hear from Alexander Vindman, the White House National Security Council's top Ukraine expert. Kathryn Wheelbarger, acting assistant secretary of defence for international security, is scheduled to appear on Wednesday, and Tim Morrison, a top White House adviser on Russia and Europe, is scheduled for Thursday.

United States lawmakers hear from 'corroborating' witness in Trump impeachment probe

North Korea said Sunday the United States must not exploit the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-and-trump-have-special-relationship-state-media-257802">"close personal relations"</a> between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal remain deadlocked.

Talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled since a second summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi in February broke down without an agreement.

The two have since blamed each other for the failure of the summit, with the North demanding the US bring forward a "new method" by the end of the year.

Kim Yong Chol, who served as the North's counterpart to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo until the collapse of the Hanoi meeting, credited Trump and Kim's close ties for salvaging the diplomacy but warned they were not enough.

"There is a limit to everything," Kim, now the chairman of the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

"The close personal relations can never be kept aloof from the public mindset and they are never a guarantee for preventing the DPRK-US relations from getting aggravated," he said using the acronym for the North's official name.

It was a rare statement by the former top envoy, who was rumoured to have been purged following the collapse of the Hanoi summit until he reappeared in a photo accompanying Kim Jong Un at an art performance in June.

His comment comes just days after Trump touted his close ties with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-leader-kim-vows-to-clear-south-korea-relics-from-kumgang-resort-257625">North Korean leader</a>, saying they liked each other and shared mutual "respect".

Pyongyang reciprocated in a statement by a top official, citing Kim as saying "the relationship between him and President Trump is special".

After trading threats of war and insults in 2017, the two leaders held a high-profile summit in Singapore last year, with Kim signing a vague pledge to work towards "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula".

But little progress has been made after an unsuccessful second summit in Hanoi in February, and earlier this month, the North broke off the latest round of working-level talks in Sweden.&nbsp;

North Korea said Sunday the United States must not exploit the "close personal relations" between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal remain deadlocked.

North Korea said Sunday the United States must not exploit the "close personal relations" between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal remain deadlocked. Talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled since a second summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi in February broke down without an agreement. The two have since blamed each other for the failure of the summit, with the North demanding the US bring forward a "new method" by the end of the year. Kim Yong Chol, who served as the North's counterpart to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo until the collapse of the Hanoi meeting, credited Trump and Kim's close ties for salvaging the diplomacy but warned they were not enough. "There is a limit to everything," Kim, now the chairman of the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency. "The close personal relations can never be kept aloof from the public mindset and they are never a guarantee for preventing the DPRK-US relations from getting aggravated," he said using the acronym for the North's official name. It was a rare statement by the former top envoy, who was rumoured to have been purged following the collapse of the Hanoi summit until he reappeared in a photo accompanying Kim Jong Un at an art performance in June. His comment comes just days after Trump touted his close ties with the North Korean leader, saying they liked each other and shared mutual "respect". Pyongyang reciprocated in a statement by a top official, citing Kim as saying "the relationship between him and President Trump is special". After trading threats of war and insults in 2017, the two leaders held a high-profile summit in Singapore last year, with Kim signing a vague pledge to work towards "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". But little progress has been made after an unsuccessful second summit in Hanoi in February, and earlier this month, the North broke off the latest round of working-level talks in Sweden.

North Korea warns United States not to exploit 'close' Trump-Kim ties

Is Trump really pulling out of Syria? What's the reality on Ground in Syria? Watch the video

What's the reality on Ground in Syria?

Cuba's state airline Cubana says it is cancelling routes to seven international destinations because of Trump administration sanctions on companies. Around 40,000 local passengers could be affected.

WION Wallet: Cuban state airline ends international routes

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-building-a-wall-in-colorado-257911">President Donald Trump</a> once again attacked the United States Federal Reserve on Thursday, calling for more interest rate cuts to stimulate the American economy just days before the key policy meeting.

"The Federal Reserve is derelict in its duties if it doesn't lower the Rate and even, ideally, stimulate," he said on Twitter, a relatively mild epithet after calling policymakers "boneheads" and "pathetic."

Trump has long argued that the Fed was too aggressive about raising the benchmark borrowing rate, which rose four times in 2018.

Under Fed Chair Jerome Powell, the Fed cut the rate twice this year and could do so again at the two-day meeting next week, although some economists are calling for a pause.

Trump's blitz of insults and criticism directed at the Fed had slowed in recent weeks, with the most recent occurring two weeks ago when he said US central bankers "don't have a clue but I do."

"Take a look around the World at our competitors. Germany and others are actually GETTING PAID to borrow money. Fed was way too fast to raise, and way too slow to cut!" Trump tweeted, pausing in his focus on the impeachment inquiry against him in Congress.

The European Central Bank left its policy interest rate unchanged on Thursday at -0.5 per cent, while the Bank of Japan, also set to meet next week,&nbsp;has a -0.1 per cent rate as sluggish economic growth persists

President Donald Trump once again attacked the United States Federal Reserve on Thursday, calling for more interest rate cuts to stimulate the American economy just days before the key policy meeting.

President Donald Trump once again attacked the United States Federal Reserve on Thursday, calling for more interest rate cuts to stimulate the American economy just days before the key policy meeting. "The Federal Reserve is derelict in its duties if it doesn't lower the Rate and even, ideally, stimulate," he said on Twitter, a relatively mild epithet after calling policymakers "boneheads" and "pathetic." Trump has long argued that the Fed was too aggressive about raising the benchmark borrowing rate, which rose four times in 2018. Under Fed Chair Jerome Powell, the Fed cut the rate twice this year and could do so again at the two-day meeting next week, although some economists are calling for a pause. Trump's blitz of insults and criticism directed at the Fed had slowed in recent weeks, with the most recent occurring two weeks ago when he said US central bankers "don't have a clue but I do." "Take a look around the World at our competitors. Germany and others are actually GETTING PAID to borrow money. Fed was way too fast to raise, and way too slow to cut!" Trump tweeted, pausing in his focus on the impeachment inquiry against him in Congress. The European Central Bank left its policy interest rate unchanged on Thursday at -0.5 per cent, while the Bank of Japan, also set to meet next week, has a -0.1 per cent rate as sluggish economic growth persists

Trump again attacks Federal Reserve, says central bank 'derelict in its duties'

United States President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-exhorts-republicans-to-get-tougher-against-impeachment-enquiry-257396">Donald Trump</a> on Monday said progress in developing the text of a partial trade pact with China means he will likely be able to sign it next month.

Trump remains upbeat on the chances Beijing and Washington will seal the mini-deal he announced earlier this month,&nbsp;marking a cooling-off period in the two nations' damaging trade war.

"We'll be able to, we think, sign a completed document with China on phase one," Trump said at the White House.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said efforts to commit the agreement to paper before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Chile next month are "on track" though some work remains to be done.

"Our target is to have the phase one deal by the time you go to Chile," Lighthizer told Trump.

Trump has said he expects to sign the partial deal on the sidelines of the summit when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

While details are scant, the new mini-deal includes a surge in Chinese purchases of American farm exports and also&nbsp;covers intellectual property, financial services and currency exchange, according to the White House.

Trump said Monday the Chinese "have started the buying."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-united-states-made-progress-in-trade-talks-chinese-vice-foreign-minister-257388">China sounded a positive note at a defence forum being held in Beijing</a>, with the vice minister of foreign affairs saying they wanted "China-US relations based on coordination, cooperation and stability."

With hundreds of billions of dollars in two-way trade now subject to additional tariffs, there are mounting signs the trade war -- now in its second year -- has damaged the world economy, adding to pressure on both sides to strike a deal.

"We don't approve the tactic of brandishing the baton of tariffs at every turn and exerting maximum pressure on China," said China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Yucheng.

"This practice is old thinking and will not work."

However, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said earlier Monday that the US side is not rushing to sign on the dotted line next month.

"We would like to make a deal," Ross told Fox Business on Monday.

"But from our point of view, it has to be the right deal and it doesn't have to be in November."

While the White House has said the "phase one" deal touches on major issues, Ross said the heaviest lifting remained to be done.

"The real question is, do we get to an early signing of phase one?" said Ross, who is not a member of the US delegation to the trade talks.

"Second, how far do we get toward phase two or two and three? Two and three are really where the meat is."

United States President Donald Trump on Monday said progress in developing the text of a partial trade pact with China means he will likely be able to sign it next month.

United States President Donald Trump on Monday said progress in developing the text of a partial trade pact with China means he will likely be able to sign it next month. Trump remains upbeat on the chances Beijing and Washington will seal the mini-deal he announced earlier this month, marking a cooling-off period in the two nations' damaging trade war. "We'll be able to, we think, sign a completed document with China on phase one," Trump said at the White House. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said efforts to commit the agreement to paper before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Chile next month are "on track" though some work remains to be done. "Our target is to have the phase one deal by the time you go to Chile," Lighthizer told Trump. Trump has said he expects to sign the partial deal on the sidelines of the summit when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping. While details are scant, the new mini-deal includes a surge in Chinese purchases of American farm exports and also covers intellectual property, financial services and currency exchange, according to the White House. Trump said Monday the Chinese "have started the buying." China sounded a positive note at a defence forum being held in Beijing, with the vice minister of foreign affairs saying they wanted "China-US relations based on coordination, cooperation and stability." With hundreds of billions of dollars in two-way trade now subject to additional tariffs, there are mounting signs the trade war -- now in its second year -- has damaged the world economy, adding to pressure on both sides to strike a deal. "We don't approve the tactic of brandishing the baton of tariffs at every turn and exerting maximum pressure on China," said China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Yucheng. "This practice is old thinking and will not work." However, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said earlier Monday that the US side is not rushing to sign on the dotted line next month. "We would like to make a deal," Ross told Fox Business on Monday. "But from our point of view, it has to be the right deal and it doesn't have to be in November." While the White House has said the "phase one" deal touches on major issues, Ross said the heaviest lifting remained to be done. "The real question is, do we get to an early signing of phase one?" said Ross, who is not a member of the US delegation to the trade talks. "Second, how far do we get toward phase two or two and three? Two and three are really where the meat is."

Trump says 'phase 1' China trade pact on track for November

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper made a surprise visit to Afghanistan yesterday in a bid to revive talks with the Taliban after President Donald Trump broke off negotiations last month which was aimed at ending America's longest war.

Mark Esper made a surprise visit to Afghanistan

United States President Donald Trump is in favour of keeping a small contingent of US troops in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kurdish-fighters-leave-besieged-syria-town-257126">eastern Syria</a> to fight the Islamic State terror group,&nbsp;US media reported, citing a senior US official. 
 
According to The New York Times newspaper, if this time Trump decides to leave several hundred military personnel in eastern Syria, this would be the second case since the beginning of the year when he cancels his own order to withdraw practically all US troops from Syria. 
 
The media outlet's source said that since last week the US president has been thinking about leaving about 200 commandos in northeastern Syria to fight terrorism. It added that US troops were likely to be located along the border with Iraq, outside the safe zone, agreed by US Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
 
According to the newspaper, in addition to the main goal, to prevent the rise of the Islamic State in Syria or neighbouring Iraq, it is important for the United States to assist the Kurds in maintaining control of oil fields in the east. 
 
Three representatives of the presidential administration and the Department of Defense confirmed that senior US politicians and commanders discussed such a plan. Trump, according to The New York Times, is now hesitating between two decisions, either to achieve the ultimate goal and return the US military from Syria home and end the war or to make sure that the containment and weakening of the IS continues. According to some officials, Trump may say that the deployment of the small contingent is a reasonable way to ensure security in the region and in the United States, without breaking his promise. 
 
Commenting on the possibility of leaving a small number of military personnel in eastern Syria, the White House said that this was not a change of policy, because the main purpose of the withdrawal was to protect the people. 
 
Trump said on October 7 that the US began to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-officials-optimistic-about-syria-ceasefire-holding-257122">withdraw its troops from northeastern Syria</a>. The head of the Pentagon, Mark Esper, said on October 13 that Washington would withdraw another 1,000 troops from Syria. 
 
On October 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the launch of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria. The offensive is part of Ankara's goal to clear its Syria-facing border area of terrorists and Kurdish militia, which for Ankara are interchangeable, and create a safe zone where Turkey could relocate part of some 3.6 million Syrian refugees it currently hosts. Operation Peace Spring is currently on hold for 120 hours as per the agreement between Ankara and Washington.

United States President Donald Trump is in favour of keeping a small contingent of US troops in eastern Syria to fight the Islamic State terror group, US media reported, citing a senior US official.

United States President Donald Trump is in favour of keeping a small contingent of US troops in eastern Syria to fight the Islamic State terror group, US media reported, citing a senior US official. According to The New York Times newspaper, if this time Trump decides to leave several hundred military personnel in eastern Syria, this would be the second case since the beginning of the year when he cancels his own order to withdraw practically all US troops from Syria. The media outlet's source said that since last week the US president has been thinking about leaving about 200 commandos in northeastern Syria to fight terrorism. It added that US troops were likely to be located along the border with Iraq, outside the safe zone, agreed by US Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the newspaper, in addition to the main goal, to prevent the rise of the Islamic State in Syria or neighbouring Iraq, it is important for the United States to assist the Kurds in maintaining control of oil fields in the east. Three representatives of the presidential administration and the Department of Defense confirmed that senior US politicians and commanders discussed such a plan. Trump, according to The New York Times, is now hesitating between two decisions, either to achieve the ultimate goal and return the US military from Syria home and end the war or to make sure that the containment and weakening of the IS continues. According to some officials, Trump may say that the deployment of the small contingent is a reasonable way to ensure security in the region and in the United States, without breaking his promise. Commenting on the possibility of leaving a small number of military personnel in eastern Syria, the White House said that this was not a change of policy, because the main purpose of the withdrawal was to protect the people. Trump said on October 7 that the US began to withdraw its troops from northeastern Syria. The head of the Pentagon, Mark Esper, said on October 13 that Washington would withdraw another 1,000 troops from Syria. On October 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the launch of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria. The offensive is part of Ankara's goal to clear its Syria-facing border area of terrorists and Kurdish militia, which for Ankara are interchangeable, and create a safe zone where Turkey could relocate part of some 3.6 million Syrian refugees it currently hosts. Operation Peace Spring is currently on hold for 120 hours as per the agreement between Ankara and Washington.

Trump leaning toward leaving 200 United States Special Forces in Eastern Syria: Reports

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