<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/volodymyr-zelensky-says-ukraine-getting-tired-of-trump-scandal-263215">Ukraine's president</a> on Monday renewed his denial of a quid pro quo with Donald Trump over military aid, despite a growing case against the US president in impeachment proceedings in Washington.

"I did not speak with US President Trump in those terms: you give me this, I give you that," Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with European publications including Germany's Der Spiegel magazine.

In remarks published in German, Zelensky said he "did not understand at all" the accusations heard at the hearings and did not "want to give an impression that we are beggars" in Ukraine.

The scandal centres around a phone conversation on July 25 in which the Republican leader is suspected of putting pressure on Ukraine to launch investigations against former Democratic vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company.&nbsp;

Watch: US Ambassador Volker says he did not know Ukraine corruption probe was tied to Biden

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-ambassador-volker-says-he-did-not-know-ukraine-corruption-probe-was-tied-to-biden-263265/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The key issue is whether Trump set up a "quid pro quo",&nbsp;Latin for seeking one action in exchange for another,&nbsp;with Zelensky by holding back promised US military aid for Ukraine until the Bidens were investigated.

In the interview published on Monday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/donald-trump-releases-record-of-friendly-first-zelensky-call-262449">Zelensky also played down expectations</a> ahead of a summit on December 9 in Paris in which he is set to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the first time.

He said that an end to the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could not be discussed until three preliminary steps had been taken.

He said there should first be a prisoner exchange within a "reasonable time period", followed by a genuine ceasefire and the retreat of all armed forces to allow local elections to be held in the region.

"If these three issues are resolved, then we can see if everyone wants to put an end to the conflict."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-adviser-tells-lawmakers-trump-ukraine-call-raised-national-security-concerns-258751">The conflict in Ukraine</a>, which broke out in 2014 after pro-Western politicians took power in Kiev and Russia annexed Crimea, has killed more than 13,000 people.

Ukraine's president on Monday renewed his denial of a quid pro quo with Donald Trump over military aid, despite a growing case against the US president in impeachment proceedings in Washington.

Ukraine's president on Monday renewed his denial of a quid pro quo with Donald Trump over military aid, despite a growing case against the US president in impeachment proceedings in Washington. "I did not speak with US President Trump in those terms: you give me this, I give you that," Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with European publications including Germany's Der Spiegel magazine. In remarks published in German, Zelensky said he "did not understand at all" the accusations heard at the hearings and did not "want to give an impression that we are beggars" in Ukraine. The scandal centres around a phone conversation on July 25 in which the Republican leader is suspected of putting pressure on Ukraine to launch investigations against former Democratic vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company. Watch: US Ambassador Volker says he did not know Ukraine corruption probe was tied to Biden The key issue is whether Trump set up a "quid pro quo", Latin for seeking one action in exchange for another, with Zelensky by holding back promised US military aid for Ukraine until the Bidens were investigated. In the interview published on Monday, Zelensky also played down expectations ahead of a summit on December 9 in Paris in which he is set to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the first time. He said that an end to the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could not be discussed until three preliminary steps had been taken. He said there should first be a prisoner exchange within a "reasonable time period", followed by a genuine ceasefire and the retreat of all armed forces to allow local elections to be held in the region. "If these three issues are resolved, then we can see if everyone wants to put an end to the conflict." The conflict in Ukraine, which broke out in 2014 after pro-Western politicians took power in Kiev and Russia annexed Crimea, has killed more than 13,000 people.

Ukraine president Zelensky renews denial of quid pro quo with US president Trump

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ordered-ukraine-deal-to-probe-biden-us-diplomat-sondland-263493">Ukraine</a> has lashed out at Apple for showing the annexed Crimea peninsula as part of Russia, saying the US tech giant did not "give a damn" about the pain of the Ukrainian people.

Russian lawmakers said on Wednesday that Apple had complied with a demand from Moscow for Crimea to appear as Russian territory on its maps and weather apps.

"Let me explain in your terms, @Apple," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko wrote on Twitter in response to the news.

"Imagine you're crying out that your design &amp; ideas, years of work &amp; piece of your heart are stolen by your worst enemy but then smb ignorant doesn't give a damn about your pain. That's how it feels when you call #Crimea a (Russian) land," he said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Let me explain in your terms, <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a>. Imagine you're crying out that your design &amp; ideas, years of work &amp; piece of your heart are stolen by your worst enemy but then smb ignorant doesn't give a damn about your pain. That's how it feels when you call <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Crimea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Crimea</a> a 🇷🇺 land.
— Vadym Prystaiko (@VPrystaiko) <a href="https://twitter.com/VPrystaiko/status/1199727752468930562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"@Apple, please, please, stick to high-tech and entertainment. Global politics is not your strong side."

The Ukrainian Embassy in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-cut-spending-on-nato-budget-germany-to-pay-more-265077">United States</a> tweeted: "We guess Ukrainians (are) not giving any thanks to @Apple this #Thanksgiving!"

As of Wednesday, the Black Sea peninsula and its largest cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol were being displayed as Russian territory on Apple's apps when used in Russia.

Moscow has put pressure on foreign companies to recognise the peninsula as an integral part of its territory.

Some Ukrainians responded by calling for a boycott of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-intel-file-antitrust-case-against-softbank-owned-firm-over-patent-practices-263533">Apple</a> devices.

"Let's take our gadgets onto the square, pile them up and burn them," wrote Igor Kravchuk from Kharkiv on Facebook.

Another, Yevgen Petrov from Zhytomyr, said: "Let's boycott Apple and support Android, a creator of gadgets that don't cave in to the Kremlin!"

Google does not identify Crimea as belonging to either <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympic-chief-says-will-do-everything-to-ensure-russia-at-2020-games-265073">Russia</a> or Ukraine on its maps.

However, when used in Russia, it writes Crimean placenames in Russian and shows a line along the de facto border with Ukraine.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 in a move condemned by most of the global community. The seizure of the peninsula helped spark a separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine that has claimed more than 13,000 lives.

EU member Lithuania backed Ukraine, with its foreign minister Linas Linkevicius tweeting: "We call on Apple to revert this ignorant standpoint as status quo has not changed in Crimea: it's still occupied by #Russia."

Russian lawmakers backed Apple's actions, however.

An MP representing Crimea in Russia's parliament, Mikhail Sheremet, told RIA Novosti news agency that Apple "doesn't want to lose the highly profitable and promising Russian market".

US President Donald Trump "should follow Apple's example and take the only correct and lawful decision to recognise Crimea's status as Russian," a lawmaker in Crimea's parliament, Alexei Chernyak, told RIA Novosti.

Russia and Apple had been in talks over the last few months, with the US giant initially trying to show Crimea as undefined territory and removing any mention of Ukraine.

Russia in November passed a law that requires phones and computers to be sold with Russian software pre-installed, although it does not enter force until June next year.

Apple has threatened to leave the Russian market over the law, since it does not sell phones with other companies' software.

Russian experts have warned that it may become impossible to buy Apple products in stores in the country.

This could mean "farewell to iPhones", warned the tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda.

Ukraine has lashed out at Apple for showing the annexed Crimea peninsula as part of Russia, saying the US tech giant did not "give a damn" about the pain of the Ukrainian people.

Ukraine has lashed out at Apple for showing the annexed Crimea peninsula as part of Russia, saying the US tech giant did not "give a damn" about the pain of the Ukrainian people. Russian lawmakers said on Wednesday that Apple had complied with a demand from Moscow for Crimea to appear as Russian territory on its maps and weather apps. "Let me explain in your terms, @Apple," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko wrote on Twitter in response to the news. "Imagine you're crying out that your design & ideas, years of work & piece of your heart are stolen by your worst enemy but then smb ignorant doesn't give a damn about your pain. That's how it feels when you call #Crimea a (Russian) land," he said. Let me explain in your terms, @Apple. Imagine you're crying out that your design & ideas, years of work & piece of your heart are stolen by your worst enemy but then smb ignorant doesn't give a damn about your pain. That's how it feels when you call #Crimea a 🇷🇺 land. — Vadym Prystaiko (@VPrystaiko) November 27, 2019 × "@Apple, please, please, stick to high-tech and entertainment. Global politics is not your strong side." The Ukrainian Embassy in the United States tweeted: "We guess Ukrainians (are) not giving any thanks to @Apple this #Thanksgiving!" As of Wednesday, the Black Sea peninsula and its largest cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol were being displayed as Russian territory on Apple's apps when used in Russia. Moscow has put pressure on foreign companies to recognise the peninsula as an integral part of its territory. Some Ukrainians responded by calling for a boycott of Apple devices. "Let's take our gadgets onto the square, pile them up and burn them," wrote Igor Kravchuk from Kharkiv on Facebook. Another, Yevgen Petrov from Zhytomyr, said: "Let's boycott Apple and support Android, a creator of gadgets that don't cave in to the Kremlin!" Google does not identify Crimea as belonging to either Russia or Ukraine on its maps. However, when used in Russia, it writes Crimean placenames in Russian and shows a line along the de facto border with Ukraine. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 in a move condemned by most of the global community. The seizure of the peninsula helped spark a separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine that has claimed more than 13,000 lives. EU member Lithuania backed Ukraine, with its foreign minister Linas Linkevicius tweeting: "We call on Apple to revert this ignorant standpoint as status quo has not changed in Crimea: it's still occupied by #Russia." Russian lawmakers backed Apple's actions, however. An MP representing Crimea in Russia's parliament, Mikhail Sheremet, told RIA Novosti news agency that Apple "doesn't want to lose the highly profitable and promising Russian market". US President Donald Trump "should follow Apple's example and take the only correct and lawful decision to recognise Crimea's status as Russian," a lawmaker in Crimea's parliament, Alexei Chernyak, told RIA Novosti. Russia and Apple had been in talks over the last few months, with the US giant initially trying to show Crimea as undefined territory and removing any mention of Ukraine. Russia in November passed a law that requires phones and computers to be sold with Russian software pre-installed, although it does not enter force until June next year. Apple has threatened to leave the Russian market over the law, since it does not sell phones with other companies' software. Russian experts have warned that it may become impossible to buy Apple products in stores in the country. This could mean "farewell to iPhones", warned the tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda.

Ukraine slams Apple for calling Crimea part of Russia

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

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-impeachment-saga-sondland-admits-quid-pro-quo-at-hearing-263485/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

'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

Indian group&nbsp;NAFED&nbsp;has issued an international tender to&nbsp;purchase&nbsp;and import up to&nbsp;100,000&nbsp;tonnes&nbsp;of&nbsp;corn&nbsp;(maize), European&nbsp;traders said on Wednesday.

The&nbsp;corn&nbsp;should be sourced from Ukraine, they said.

The tender closes on December 3 with offers having to remain valid up to December&nbsp;24.

Indian group NAFED has issued an international tender to purchase and import up to 100,000 tonnes of corn (maize), European traders said on Wednesday. The corn should be sourced from Ukraine, they said.

Indian group NAFED has issued an international tender to purchase and import up to 100,000 tonnes of corn (maize), European traders said on Wednesday. The corn should be sourced from Ukraine, they said. The tender closes on December 3 with offers having to remain valid up to December 24.

NAFED tenders to purchase 100,000 tonnes corn

Kurt Volker, a former diplomat who was involved in discussions to get Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government to investigate corruption, said on Tuesday he did not know that was effectively a request to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

U.S. Ambassador Volker says he did not know Ukraine corruption probe was tied to Biden

Ukraine's military confirmed on Monday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-confirms-putin-to-take-part-in-ukrainian-peace-summit-in-paris-262934">Russia is returning three Ukrainian naval ships </a>that it captured in the Kerch Strait in November 2018.

Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier on Monday that Moscow had successfully handed three naval ships it captured last year back to Ukraine.

Ukraine has been pushing for their return as a goodwill gesture from Moscow ahead of a four-way peace summit on eastern Ukraine next month in Paris.

More than 13,000 people have been killed in the more than five-year-old conflict in east Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean peninsula, which prompted Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won a landslide election victory in April promising to end the conflict.

Ukraine's military confirmed on Monday that Russia is returning three Ukrainian naval ships that it captured in the Kerch Strait in November 2018. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier on Monday that Moscow had successfully handed three naval ships it captured last year back to Ukraine.

Ukraine's military confirmed on Monday that Russia is returning three Ukrainian naval ships that it captured in the Kerch Strait in November 2018. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier on Monday that Moscow had successfully handed three naval ships it captured last year back to Ukraine. Ukraine has been pushing for their return as a goodwill gesture from Moscow ahead of a four-way peace summit on eastern Ukraine next month in Paris. More than 13,000 people have been killed in the more than five-year-old conflict in east Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces. Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean peninsula, which prompted Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won a landslide election victory in April promising to end the conflict.

Ukraine confirms Russia returning three captured naval ships

The Kremlin confirmed on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would take part in a four-way international summit in Paris on December&nbsp;9, an attempt to advance efforts for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The French presidency said on Friday that the leaders of France, Germany, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-it-will-return-captured-naval-ships-to-ukraine-on-monday-262777">Russia and Ukraine</a> would take part. But until Monday the Kremlin had failed to publicly confirm its attendance.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Putin would attend, but declined to discuss what Moscow's expectations for the event were.

Meanwhile, Russian news agencies in Sunday announced that Russia will return three captured naval ships to Ukraine and is moving them to a handover location agreed with Kiev.

A Reuters reporter in Crimea, which Russian annexed from Ukraine in 2014, earlier on Sunday saw coastguard boats pulling the three vessels through the Kerch Strait towards the Black Sea where they could potentially be handed over to Ukraine.

Ukraine has been pushing for their return as a goodwill gesture from Moscow ahead of a possible four-way peace summit on eastern Ukraine next month.

More than 13,000 people have been killed in the more than five-year-old conflict in east Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed following Moscow`s annexation of the Crimean peninsula, which prompted Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won a landslide election victory in April promising to end the conflict.

The Kremlin confirmed on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would take part in a four-way international summit in Paris on December 9, an attempt to advance efforts for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The Kremlin confirmed on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would take part in a four-way international summit in Paris on December 9, an attempt to advance efforts for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The French presidency said on Friday that the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine would take part. But until Monday the Kremlin had failed to publicly confirm its attendance. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Putin would attend, but declined to discuss what Moscow's expectations for the event were. Meanwhile, Russian news agencies in Sunday announced that Russia will return three captured naval ships to Ukraine and is moving them to a handover location agreed with Kiev. A Reuters reporter in Crimea, which Russian annexed from Ukraine in 2014, earlier on Sunday saw coastguard boats pulling the three vessels through the Kerch Strait towards the Black Sea where they could potentially be handed over to Ukraine. Ukraine has been pushing for their return as a goodwill gesture from Moscow ahead of a possible four-way peace summit on eastern Ukraine next month. More than 13,000 people have been killed in the more than five-year-old conflict in east Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces. Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed following Moscow`s annexation of the Crimean peninsula, which prompted Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won a landslide election victory in April promising to end the conflict.

Russia confirms Putin to take part in Ukrainian peace summit in Paris

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko on Thursday said US envoy Gordon Sondland did not tell him aid to Kiev depended on opening a probe into Donald Trump's potential 2020 rival Joe Biden.

Democrats accused Trump and his allies of freezing some $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to get President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden and his son.

Trump has dismissed the allegations that led to the opening of an impeachment inquiry into his presidency as a "witch hunt".

Sondland, America's Trump-appointed ambassador to the European Union, this month gave key testimony to the impeachment inquiry that he told a Ukraine official US military aid was contingent on Kiev investigating Biden.

"Ambassador Sondland did not tell us, and for sure did not tell me, about a connection between the assistance and the investigations," Prystaiko told journalists in Kiev.

Sondland told Ukrainian officials in Washington on July 10 that a summit between Zelensky and Trump was conditional on the desired investigations into Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who served on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma, witnesses told the inquiry.

On Wednesday, William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, during televised hearings in the Democratic-led House of Representatives said he had become aware of a telephone call between Trump and Sondland, which a member of Taylor's staff overheard.

The staffer said Trump was interested in getting Kiev to investigate Biden and his son and reiterated the understanding that US aid to Kiev would be suspended until it launched the probe.

"I have never seen a direct relationship between the investigations and help in the security sphere," Prystaiko was quoted as saying by Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

"Yes, the investigations were mentioned, you know, in a conversation between the presidents. But there was no clear connection between these events."

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko on Thursday said US envoy Gordon Sondland did not tell him aid to Kiev depended on opening a probe into Donald Trump's potential 2020 rival Joe Biden.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko on Thursday said US envoy Gordon Sondland did not tell him aid to Kiev depended on opening a probe into Donald Trump's potential 2020 rival Joe Biden. Democrats accused Trump and his allies of freezing some $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to get President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former vice president Biden and his son. Trump has dismissed the allegations that led to the opening of an impeachment inquiry into his presidency as a "witch hunt". Sondland, America's Trump-appointed ambassador to the European Union, this month gave key testimony to the impeachment inquiry that he told a Ukraine official US military aid was contingent on Kiev investigating Biden. "Ambassador Sondland did not tell us, and for sure did not tell me, about a connection between the assistance and the investigations," Prystaiko told journalists in Kiev. Sondland told Ukrainian officials in Washington on July 10 that a summit between Zelensky and Trump was conditional on the desired investigations into Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who served on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma, witnesses told the inquiry. On Wednesday, William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, during televised hearings in the Democratic-led House of Representatives said he had become aware of a telephone call between Trump and Sondland, which a member of Taylor's staff overheard. The staffer said Trump was interested in getting Kiev to investigate Biden and his son and reiterated the understanding that US aid to Kiev would be suspended until it launched the probe. "I have never seen a direct relationship between the investigations and help in the security sphere," Prystaiko was quoted as saying by Interfax-Ukraine news agency. "Yes, the investigations were mentioned, you know, in a conversation between the presidents. But there was no clear connection between these events."

Ukraine FM says US envoy did not link Joe Biden probe to aid

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.

Trump impeachment hearings focus on Ukraine pressure campaign in first day

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, in gripping public testimony at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeachment-witness-trumps-lawyer-rudy-guilliani-guided-irregular-ukraine-policy-channel-261903">historic impeachment hearing into President Donald Trump</a>, levelled a stark new accusation Wednesday about White House efforts to pressure Kiev to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden.

William Taylor, the acting US ambassador to Ukraine, told the House Intelligence Committee, which is conducting the hearings, that he was told Trump cared more about the probe into his likely 2020 rival than he did about Ukraine.

Trump is accused by Democrats in the House of Representatives of abusing his power by using US military aid to pressure Kiev into opening an investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

Trump, who maintains he did nothing wrong, dismissed the impeachment inquiry as a "witch hunt" and said he was too busy to watch the first televised hearings.

Taylor, who testified in a closed hearing last month, said he had since become aware of a telephone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU, that was overheard by a member of Taylor's staff.

Taylor said the staff member heard Trump asking Sondland about the status of the investigations. He said the staff member asked Sondland after the call what Trump thought about Ukraine.

"Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cared more about the investigations of Biden," Taylor said.

In his opening statement, Taylor recalled his opposition to making US military aid to Ukraine contingent on Ukraine opening an investigation of the Bidens.

"Withholding security assistance in exchange for help with a domestic political campaign in the United States would be crazy," he said. "I believed that then and I believe it now."

Taylor said an "irregular policy channel" involving former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, was pushing for the Ukrainian probe into the Bidens.

'Scorched-earth war'

Democrats who control the House plan to prove over several weeks of hearings that Trump abused his office by asking Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.

The investigation threatens to make Trump only the third US president to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998, although to be removed from office he would need to be convicted by the Republican-led Senate.

Neither Johnson or Clinton was convicted and removed. But in 1974 Richard Nixon resigned in the face of certain impeachment and removal from office for the Watergate scandal.

Opening the inquiry Wednesday morning, House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, the California congressman overseeing the probe, said "there are few actions as consequential as the impeachment of a president."

"The questions presented by this impeachment inquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit (Ukraine's) vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said. "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?"

Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, hit back by accusing Democrats of waging a "scorched-earth war against President Trump" and a "carefully orchestrated media smear campaign."

"It's nothing more than an impeachment process in search of a crime," Nunes said.

Taylor and George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, have already testified in private that Trump used US military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into the Bidens.

"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 in his opening statement Wednesday.

Speaking minutes before the hearing, Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House, said the probe was necessary to show Trump he can't do "whatever he wants."

"That he is not above the law," Pelosi said. "And that he will be held accountable."&nbsp;

Slim majority favor impeachment

Coming just one year before national elections, the hearings carry great risks for both parties and no certain reward, with a divided US electorate weary of Washington infighting.

Polls show a slim majority of Americans favor impeaching the president.&nbsp;

But they also show that Trump's sizable voter base, which delivered his shock victory in 2016, rejects the allegations.

Republicans have sought, in closed door depositions over the last six weeks, to refocus attention on Biden's link, through his son, to Ukraine, and on the widely discredited theory Trump apparently believes that Ukraine assisted Democrats in the 2016 election.

Democrats have amassed evidence that Trump sought to leverage Zelensky's desire for a meeting between the two leaders and for some $391 million in aid to get Ukraine to find dirt on Biden, who could face Trump in next year's presidential election.

The key evidence is the official White House transcript of a July 25 phone call showing Trump pressuring Zelensky to open investigations into Biden and the 2016 conspiracy theory.

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, in gripping public testimony at the historic impeachment hearing into President Donald Trump, levelled a stark new accusation Wednesday about White House efforts to pressure Kiev to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden.

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, in gripping public testimony at the historic impeachment hearing into President Donald Trump, levelled a stark new accusation Wednesday about White House efforts to pressure Kiev to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden. William Taylor, the acting US ambassador to Ukraine, told the House Intelligence Committee, which is conducting the hearings, that he was told Trump cared more about the probe into his likely 2020 rival than he did about Ukraine. Trump is accused by Democrats in the House of Representatives of abusing his power by using US military aid to pressure Kiev into opening an investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. Trump, who maintains he did nothing wrong, dismissed the impeachment inquiry as a "witch hunt" and said he was too busy to watch the first televised hearings. Taylor, who testified in a closed hearing last month, said he had since become aware of a telephone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU, that was overheard by a member of Taylor's staff. Taylor said the staff member heard Trump asking Sondland about the status of the investigations. He said the staff member asked Sondland after the call what Trump thought about Ukraine. "Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cared more about the investigations of Biden," Taylor said. In his opening statement, Taylor recalled his opposition to making US military aid to Ukraine contingent on Ukraine opening an investigation of the Bidens. "Withholding security assistance in exchange for help with a domestic political campaign in the United States would be crazy," he said. "I believed that then and I believe it now." Taylor said an "irregular policy channel" involving former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, was pushing for the Ukrainian probe into the Bidens. 'Scorched-earth war' Democrats who control the House plan to prove over several weeks of hearings that Trump abused his office by asking Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The investigation threatens to make Trump only the third US president to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998, although to be removed from office he would need to be convicted by the Republican-led Senate. Neither Johnson or Clinton was convicted and removed. But in 1974 Richard Nixon resigned in the face of certain impeachment and removal from office for the Watergate scandal. Opening the inquiry Wednesday morning, House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, the California congressman overseeing the probe, said "there are few actions as consequential as the impeachment of a president." "The questions presented by this impeachment inquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit (Ukraine's) vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said. "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?" Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, hit back by accusing Democrats of waging a "scorched-earth war against President Trump" and a "carefully orchestrated media smear campaign." "It's nothing more than an impeachment process in search of a crime," Nunes said. Taylor and George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, have already testified in private that Trump used US military aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into the Bidens. "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 in his opening statement Wednesday. Speaking minutes before the hearing, Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House, said the probe was necessary to show Trump he can't do "whatever he wants." "That he is not above the law," Pelosi said. "And that he will be held accountable." Slim majority favor impeachment Coming just one year before national elections, the hearings carry great risks for both parties and no certain reward, with a divided US electorate weary of Washington infighting. Polls show a slim majority of Americans favor impeaching the president. But they also show that Trump's sizable voter base, which delivered his shock victory in 2016, rejects the allegations. Republicans have sought, in closed door depositions over the last six weeks, to refocus attention on Biden's link, through his son, to Ukraine, and on the widely discredited theory Trump apparently believes that Ukraine assisted Democrats in the 2016 election. Democrats have amassed evidence that Trump sought to leverage Zelensky's desire for a meeting between the two leaders and for some $391 million in aid to get Ukraine to find dirt on Biden, who could face Trump in next year's presidential election. The key evidence is the official White House transcript of a July 25 phone call showing Trump pressuring Zelensky to open investigations into Biden and the 2016 conspiracy theory.

Trump impeachment hearing: US President prioritised Biden investigation over Ukraine aid, says witness

Trump Impeachment: Public hearings in impeachment probe Set to start.

Trump Impeachment: Public hearings today

Moldova's government was brought down by a no-confidence vote on Tuesday, threatening more instability just five months after pro-Western Prime Minister Maia Sandu took office promising to fight corruption.

Sandu had formed an uneasy coalition with the Russian-backed Socialist party. But relations broke down over a proposed reform to how the top prosecutor is appointed.

The government lost with 63 out of 101 lawmakers voting in favour of the no-confidence motion.

Parties now have 90 days to try to form a new government. If they fail to do so, another parliamentary election would be called.

The country of 3.5 million, which sits between Ukraine and European Union member Romania, has lurched from crisis to crisis since the disappearance of $1 billion from the financial system in 2014 tarnished the reputation of its political class.

A Harvard-educated former World Bank economist known for her tough stance on corruption, Sandu had formed an unlikely alliance with the Socialists to remove a party run by a tycoon from power after an inconclusive election in February.

Reflecting the divided opinion in Moldovan society, Sandu's ACUM bloc wants the country to join the European Union while the Socialist party formerly run by President Igor Dodon advocates closer ties to Moscow.

Their coalition has tussled over who should have the power to appoint a new prosecutor-general. Sandu wants to be able to make the choice herself, but the Socialists wanted a special commission under the justice ministry to decide.

Sandu says the move is essential for her to be able to deliver on a promise to fight corruption and claw back the $1 billion that was stolen from three banks in a scam known locally as the "theft of the century".

"Citizens did not expect miracles in five months, they understand and appreciate a responsible government, consisting of honest ministers, who came to office to make people's lives better," Sandu said on Facebook before the vote.

"We want efficient prosecutors and judges who make decisions in the name of the law. We want those who stole the billion to go to jail. It's simple. This is what the whole society wants."

Moldova's government was brought down by a no-confidence vote on Tuesday, threatening more instability just five months after pro-Western Prime Minister Maia Sandu took office promising to fight corruption.

Moldova's government was brought down by a no-confidence vote on Tuesday, threatening more instability just five months after pro-Western Prime Minister Maia Sandu took office promising to fight corruption. Sandu had formed an uneasy coalition with the Russian-backed Socialist party. But relations broke down over a proposed reform to how the top prosecutor is appointed. The government lost with 63 out of 101 lawmakers voting in favour of the no-confidence motion. Parties now have 90 days to try to form a new government. If they fail to do so, another parliamentary election would be called. The country of 3.5 million, which sits between Ukraine and European Union member Romania, has lurched from crisis to crisis since the disappearance of $1 billion from the financial system in 2014 tarnished the reputation of its political class. A Harvard-educated former World Bank economist known for her tough stance on corruption, Sandu had formed an unlikely alliance with the Socialists to remove a party run by a tycoon from power after an inconclusive election in February. Reflecting the divided opinion in Moldovan society, Sandu's ACUM bloc wants the country to join the European Union while the Socialist party formerly run by President Igor Dodon advocates closer ties to Moscow. Their coalition has tussled over who should have the power to appoint a new prosecutor-general. Sandu wants to be able to make the choice herself, but the Socialists wanted a special commission under the justice ministry to decide. Sandu says the move is essential for her to be able to deliver on a promise to fight corruption and claw back the $1 billion that was stolen from three banks in a scam known locally as the "theft of the century". "Citizens did not expect miracles in five months, they understand and appreciate a responsible government, consisting of honest ministers, who came to office to make people's lives better," Sandu said on Facebook before the vote. "We want efficient prosecutors and judges who make decisions in the name of the law. We want those who stole the billion to go to jail. It's simple. This is what the whole society wants."

Moldova's fledgling government brought down by no confidence vote

The US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Tuesday could take some control of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-perilous-test-as-impeachment-hearings-open-261230">impeachment enquiry</a> into his dealings with Ukraine if he follows through on a promise to release a transcript of an April call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Trump said on Saturday he would likely release the transcript on Tuesday, describing it to reporters as "very important." He said on Twitter on Monday evening, however, that he would be releasing it "sometime this week," adding: "I am sure you will find it tantalizing!"

Just two days before the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-perilous-test-as-impeachment-hearings-open-261230">first public hearings </a>in the impeachment inquiry, Trump issued a series of scathing tweets on Monday slamming the probe and the Democrats conducting it.

"It is a totally one-sided Witch Hunt. This can't be making the Democrats look good. Such a farce!" he said.

The investigation formally launched six weeks ago by Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has shadowed Trump's presidency, with the threat that he could be removed from office even as he seeks re-election next year.

He is only the fourth US&nbsp;president to face impeachment. None has been removed from office, although Richard Nixon resigned as he faced almost certain impeachment in 1974 over the Watergate scandal.

Democrats are investigating whether there are grounds to impeach Trump over his July 25 request in a phone call to Zelenskiy to investigate a domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

That call prompted a whistleblower complaint that led Democrats to launch the probe in September into whether Trump abused his power by withholding security assistance to put pressure on a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally.

The transcript Trump will release is from a call with Zelenskiy on April 12, after the Ukrainian was elected president, but before he took office. The White House did not release a readout of that conversation when it took place.

For the past two weeks, House investigators have been releasing transcripts of interviews conducted behind closed doors with witnesses, including diplomats and security aides, about dealings with Ukraine by administration officials and the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.

On Monday, the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees released transcripts of interviews with one official from the Department of Defense and two from the State Department.

In her testimony, senior Pentagon official Laura Cooper, detailed confusion and concern in the US&nbsp;national security community after Trump's White House blocked nearly $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine without explanation.

"All of the senior leaders of the US&nbsp;national security departments and agencies were all unified in their, in their view that this assistance was essential," Cooper said, according to the transcript.

Trump has intensified his attacks on the investigation as public hearings approach. He issued a series of impeachment-related tweets on Monday evening, including accusing Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the Intelligence Committee, of fabricating transcripts.

There has been no suggestion by any witness or Republicans on the three committees that the transcripts have been inaccurate.

Democrats consider the open hearings that start on Wednesday crucial to building public support for a vote on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If that occurs, the 100-seat Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial.

Republicans have so far shown little interest in removing Trump from office.

The US President Donald Trump on Tuesday could take some control of the impeachment enquiry into his dealings with Ukraine if he follows through on a promise to release a transcript of an April call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

The US President Donald Trump on Tuesday could take some control of the impeachment enquiry into his dealings with Ukraine if he follows through on a promise to release a transcript of an April call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump said on Saturday he would likely release the transcript on Tuesday, describing it to reporters as "very important." He said on Twitter on Monday evening, however, that he would be releasing it "sometime this week," adding: "I am sure you will find it tantalizing!" Just two days before the first public hearings in the impeachment inquiry, Trump issued a series of scathing tweets on Monday slamming the probe and the Democrats conducting it. "It is a totally one-sided Witch Hunt. This can't be making the Democrats look good. Such a farce!" he said. The investigation formally launched six weeks ago by Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has shadowed Trump's presidency, with the threat that he could be removed from office even as he seeks re-election next year. He is only the fourth US president to face impeachment. None has been removed from office, although Richard Nixon resigned as he faced almost certain impeachment in 1974 over the Watergate scandal. Democrats are investigating whether there are grounds to impeach Trump over his July 25 request in a phone call to Zelenskiy to investigate a domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. That call prompted a whistleblower complaint that led Democrats to launch the probe in September into whether Trump abused his power by withholding security assistance to put pressure on a vulnerable US ally. The transcript Trump will release is from a call with Zelenskiy on April 12, after the Ukrainian was elected president, but before he took office. The White House did not release a readout of that conversation when it took place. For the past two weeks, House investigators have been releasing transcripts of interviews conducted behind closed doors with witnesses, including diplomats and security aides, about dealings with Ukraine by administration officials and the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. On Monday, the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees released transcripts of interviews with one official from the Department of Defense and two from the State Department. In her testimony, senior Pentagon official Laura Cooper, detailed confusion and concern in the US national security community after Trump's White House blocked nearly $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine without explanation. "All of the senior leaders of the US national security departments and agencies were all unified in their, in their view that this assistance was essential," Cooper said, according to the transcript. Trump has intensified his attacks on the investigation as public hearings approach. He issued a series of impeachment-related tweets on Monday evening, including accusing Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the Intelligence Committee, of fabricating transcripts. There has been no suggestion by any witness or Republicans on the three committees that the transcripts have been inaccurate. Democrats consider the open hearings that start on Wednesday crucial to building public support for a vote on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If that occurs, the 100-seat Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial. Republicans have so far shown little interest in removing Trump from office.

As impeachment probe starts new phase, Trump promises to release transcript

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-foes-begin-key-troop-pullback-in-war-torn-east-before-summit-with-russia-261008">Ukraine</a> expects the United States to maintain or even increase military aid to Kiev next year despite the issue being part of a political battle in Washington over the impeachment of President Donald Trump, Defence Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk told Reuters.

Trump is accused by his Democrat opponents of freezing nearly $400 million in security aid to Ukraine to pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open investigations into Trump's main rival for the 2020 presidential race.

Trump calls the impeachment probe a witch hunt.

The United States has been Ukraine's biggest benefactor since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 dragged relations between the West and Russia to their lowest point since the Cold War. It gave $1.5 billion in security aid between 2014-2019.

Trump withheld $391 million of congressionally approved security assistance to Ukraine in July but says there was no quid pro quo,&nbsp;a Latin phrase meaning a favour for a favour,&nbsp;attached to its release. The aid was unfrozen by September.

Ukraine used the aid to acquire hardware such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, grenade launchers, radars and night-vision goggles to fight Russian-backed forces in a conflict in the Donbass region that has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014.

Zahorodniuk said the short duration of the aid freeze meant it had no material impact. He told Reuters in an interview Ukraine expected the same amount of aid, "if not larger" in 2020, and plans to acquire more Javelin missiles.

"There is a general common opinion in both the government and Congress that it should be ramped up," he said, citing what he said was Washington's positive view of Zelenskiy's reform push.

"We do feel support and it's there. It's 100 per cent," he said, when asked if Ukraine still feels it can rely on continued US&nbsp;aid.

Ukraine received two Island-class patrol boats from the United States to bolster its presence in the Black Sea this year, and Zahorodniuk expects three more in 2020.

"I also have to say that this aid has a symbolic meaning. It's not just the money and it's not about the equipment," Zahorodniuk said.

"It's also about the ... show of support from the international community to Ukraine. And that actually has probably for the general population even more meaning than the equipment itself."

The impeachment enquiry into Trump has been an unwelcome <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-adviser-tells-lawmakers-trump-ukraine-call-raised-national-security-concerns-258751">distraction for Zelenskiy</a>, who came to power in April promising to fight corruption and a peaceful end to the Donbass conflict.

Under Zelenskiy's predecessor, Zahorodniuk headed an office under the defence ministry focused on reform but quit in 2017 in frustration at the slow pace of change.

Having rejoined as minister under Zelenskiy, Zahorodniuk wants to make defence procurement more transparent and investigate corruption in the armed forces.

Much of what the military buys is a state secret, making it easier for officials to inflate costs or swing deals towards favoured parties.

The government aims to pass legislation as early as this year to throw open tenders to wider scrutiny and wants to create a separate procurement agency inside the defence ministry similar to a British model, the minister said.

Ukraine expects the United States to maintain or even increase military aid to Kiev next year despite the issue being part of a political battle in Washington over the impeachment of President Donald Trump, Defence Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk told Reuters.

Ukraine expects the United States to maintain or even increase military aid to Kiev next year despite the issue being part of a political battle in Washington over the impeachment of President Donald Trump, Defence Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk told Reuters. Trump is accused by his Democrat opponents of freezing nearly $400 million in security aid to Ukraine to pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open investigations into Trump's main rival for the 2020 presidential race. Trump calls the impeachment probe a witch hunt. The United States has been Ukraine's biggest benefactor since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 dragged relations between the West and Russia to their lowest point since the Cold War. It gave $1.5 billion in security aid between 2014-2019. Trump withheld $391 million of congressionally approved security assistance to Ukraine in July but says there was no quid pro quo, a Latin phrase meaning a favour for a favour, attached to its release. The aid was unfrozen by September. Ukraine used the aid to acquire hardware such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, grenade launchers, radars and night-vision goggles to fight Russian-backed forces in a conflict in the Donbass region that has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014. Zahorodniuk said the short duration of the aid freeze meant it had no material impact. He told Reuters in an interview Ukraine expected the same amount of aid, "if not larger" in 2020, and plans to acquire more Javelin missiles. "There is a general common opinion in both the government and Congress that it should be ramped up," he said, citing what he said was Washington's positive view of Zelenskiy's reform push. "We do feel support and it's there. It's 100 per cent," he said, when asked if Ukraine still feels it can rely on continued US aid. Ukraine received two Island-class patrol boats from the United States to bolster its presence in the Black Sea this year, and Zahorodniuk expects three more in 2020. "I also have to say that this aid has a symbolic meaning. It's not just the money and it's not about the equipment," Zahorodniuk said. "It's also about the ... show of support from the international community to Ukraine. And that actually has probably for the general population even more meaning than the equipment itself." The impeachment enquiry into Trump has been an unwelcome distraction for Zelenskiy, who came to power in April promising to fight corruption and a peaceful end to the Donbass conflict. Under Zelenskiy's predecessor, Zahorodniuk headed an office under the defence ministry focused on reform but quit in 2017 in frustration at the slow pace of change. Having rejoined as minister under Zelenskiy, Zahorodniuk wants to make defence procurement more transparent and investigate corruption in the armed forces. Much of what the military buys is a state secret, making it easier for officials to inflate costs or swing deals towards favoured parties. The government aims to pass legislation as early as this year to throw open tenders to wider scrutiny and wants to create a separate procurement agency inside the defence ministry similar to a British model, the minister said.

Ukraine expects United States military aid to keep flowing despite Trump impeachment battle

Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian midfielder Taison was sent off in a Ukrainian league match against visitors Dynamo Kyiv on Sunday for reacting to racist insults from the crowd.

A video of the incident showed that Taison stuck his finger up at a section occupied by Dynamo fans and then hoofed the ball into the stands.

Taison, 31, who has featured six times for Brazil and has played in Ukraine since 2011, reacted with disbelief and left the field in tears.

The campaign group FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) said on Twitter that Taison's teammate and fellow Brazilian Dentinho reported the insults to the referee and a stadium announcement was made.

Following UEFA-recommended protocol, the referee then took the players to the dressing-room for five minutes, FARE said, before dismissing Taison and restarting the game which Shakhtar won 1-0.

The third step of the protocol would have been to abandon the match.

"The third step not activated, victim of racism sent off," said FARE, which added that Dynamo fans also mocked a club campaign by displaying posters which said, "Like to racism."

In 2015, Dynamo Kyiv were ordered by UEFA to play two European matches behind closed doors after four black spectators were attacked at their stadium during a match against Chelsea.

Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian midfielder Taison was sent off in a Ukrainian league match against visitors Dynamo Kyiv on Sunday for reacting to racist insults from the crowd.

Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian midfielder Taison was sent off in a Ukrainian league match against visitors Dynamo Kyiv on Sunday for reacting to racist insults from the crowd. A video of the incident showed that Taison stuck his finger up at a section occupied by Dynamo fans and then hoofed the ball into the stands. Taison, 31, who has featured six times for Brazil and has played in Ukraine since 2011, reacted with disbelief and left the field in tears. The campaign group FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) said on Twitter that Taison's teammate and fellow Brazilian Dentinho reported the insults to the referee and a stadium announcement was made. Following UEFA-recommended protocol, the referee then took the players to the dressing-room for five minutes, FARE said, before dismissing Taison and restarting the game which Shakhtar won 1-0. The third step of the protocol would have been to abandon the match. "The third step not activated, victim of racism sent off," said FARE, which added that Dynamo fans also mocked a club campaign by displaying posters which said, "Like to racism." In 2015, Dynamo Kyiv were ordered by UEFA to play two European matches behind closed doors after four black spectators were attacked at their stadium during a match against Chelsea.

Football: Brazilian player sent off in Ukraine for reacting to racist insults

The Ukrainian army and Moscow-backed separatists on Saturday launched the last phase of a troop pullback ahead of a high-stakes summit with Russia, the warring sides said.

The long-awaited withdrawal of troops in the conflict-riven Donetsk and Lugansk regions is a precondition for the first face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Paris summit, whose date has yet to be confirmed, will be mediated by the leaders of France and Germany.

"The disengagement of troops and weaponry has begun" between the villages of Petrivske in the separatist-controlled zone and Bogdanivka in Kiev-controlled territory in the Donetsk region, said a senior Ukrainian army representative, Bogdan Bondar.

Donetsk separatists also confirmed the start of the withdrawal of forces.

The warring sides signalled their intention to withdraw by firing flares, an AFP correspondent said from the scene.&nbsp;

OSCE monitors were observing the disengagement which could be spread over several days.

The warring sides held a similar pullback in the Lugansk region in October.&nbsp;

Since coming to power in May, comedian-turned-president Zelensky has sought to establish dialogue with Russian leader Putin and revive a peace process to end a five-year-old separatist conflict.

The war in eastern Ukraine broke out a month after Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and has claimed some 13,000 lives.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of giving financial and military backing to separatists, which Russia denies.

"The Normandy format aims to renew dialogue, which can bring us closer to the complete end of the war," Zelensky said this week, referring to the four-way talks.

The summit has been repeatedly postponed for a number of reasons including the failure of earlier attempts to disengage forces.

The withdrawal of forces would be the "final precondition" for organising the four-way summit, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said this week.

He has expressed hope that the meeting, the first at such a high level since 2016, could take place in Paris in November.

Russia has said it backs a new summit but refused to commit to a timetable.

"We want to hold the summit as soon as possible, but at the same time we consider this summit has to be well organised to ensure it gets the necessary results," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

He added it was "too early to say" whether the meeting could take place this year because "many questions" remained unresolved.

Zelensky's peace plan including the troop pullback has been strongly criticised by many in Kiev, especially war veterans and nationalists.

In the run-up to the planned summit, Ukrainian, Russian and separatist negotiators also agreed on a roadmap that envisages a special status for the separatist territories if they conduct free and fair elections under the Ukrainian constitution.

The Ukrainian army and Moscow-backed separatists on Saturday launched the last phase of a troop pullback ahead of a high-stakes summit with Russia, the warring sides said.

The Ukrainian army and Moscow-backed separatists on Saturday launched the last phase of a troop pullback ahead of a high-stakes summit with Russia, the warring sides said. The long-awaited withdrawal of troops in the conflict-riven Donetsk and Lugansk regions is a precondition for the first face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. The Paris summit, whose date has yet to be confirmed, will be mediated by the leaders of France and Germany. "The disengagement of troops and weaponry has begun" between the villages of Petrivske in the separatist-controlled zone and Bogdanivka in Kiev-controlled territory in the Donetsk region, said a senior Ukrainian army representative, Bogdan Bondar. Donetsk separatists also confirmed the start of the withdrawal of forces. The warring sides signalled their intention to withdraw by firing flares, an AFP correspondent said from the scene. OSCE monitors were observing the disengagement which could be spread over several days. The warring sides held a similar pullback in the Lugansk region in October. Since coming to power in May, comedian-turned-president Zelensky has sought to establish dialogue with Russian leader Putin and revive a peace process to end a five-year-old separatist conflict. The war in eastern Ukraine broke out a month after Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and has claimed some 13,000 lives. Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of giving financial and military backing to separatists, which Russia denies. "The Normandy format aims to renew dialogue, which can bring us closer to the complete end of the war," Zelensky said this week, referring to the four-way talks. The summit has been repeatedly postponed for a number of reasons including the failure of earlier attempts to disengage forces. The withdrawal of forces would be the "final precondition" for organising the four-way summit, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said this week. He has expressed hope that the meeting, the first at such a high level since 2016, could take place in Paris in November. Russia has said it backs a new summit but refused to commit to a timetable. "We want to hold the summit as soon as possible, but at the same time we consider this summit has to be well organised to ensure it gets the necessary results," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He added it was "too early to say" whether the meeting could take place this year because "many questions" remained unresolved. Zelensky's peace plan including the troop pullback has been strongly criticised by many in Kiev, especially war veterans and nationalists. In the run-up to the planned summit, Ukrainian, Russian and separatist negotiators also agreed on a roadmap that envisages a special status for the separatist territories if they conduct free and fair elections under the Ukrainian constitution.

Ukraine foes begin key troop pullback in war-torn east before summit with Russia

Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko considered opening an investigation into a political rival of US President Donald Trump in exchange for a meeting in Washington, The Wall Street Journal reported citing unnamed sources close to the matter. 
 
Trump associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, arrested last month in the US on charges of campaign finance violations, reportedly met with Poroshenko in February 2019 and offered a meeting with the US president in exchange for an investigation into former US Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. 
 
The prospective investigation was an attempt to dig up dirt on Biden, a Democratic frontrunner for the White House, whose son was a board member at Ukrainian oil company Burisma. A probe into alleged Ukrainian interference into the 2016 US presidential election was also part of the request. 
 
Trump’s attempts to solicit Poroshenko’s successor, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to launch an investigation into the Bidens are now at the centre of an impeachment enquiry into the US president. 
 
As one of Wall Street Journal’s sources noted, Poroshenko was ready to consider the proposal because, at the time, he was running for reelection and saw a photo op with the US president as an opportunity to boost domestic ratings. The source said that Poroshenko had asked the Ukrainian embassy to make necessary preparations for an official visit between the first and second rounds of the election. 
 
The meeting never came to fruition as there was no official invitation from the White House, according to the publication, since Poroshenko was unlikely to win the election. 
 
House Democrats last September launched an impeachment enquiry into Trump’s activity after a whistleblower report highlighted a telephone conversation with Zelenskyy. The enquiry is held on grounds of abusing presidential powers, withholding military aid from Ukraine in exchange for the investigation thereby inviting a foreign power to interfere in US elections. Trump denies the charges, saying his phone call with Zelenksyy was "perfect."

Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko considered opening an investigation into a political rival of US President Donald Trump in exchange for a meeting in Washington, The Wall Street Journal reported citing unnamed sources close to the matter.

Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko considered opening an investigation into a political rival of US President Donald Trump in exchange for a meeting in Washington, The Wall Street Journal reported citing unnamed sources close to the matter. Trump associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, arrested last month in the US on charges of campaign finance violations, reportedly met with Poroshenko in February 2019 and offered a meeting with the US president in exchange for an investigation into former US Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. The prospective investigation was an attempt to dig up dirt on Biden, a Democratic frontrunner for the White House, whose son was a board member at Ukrainian oil company Burisma. A probe into alleged Ukrainian interference into the 2016 US presidential election was also part of the request. Trump’s attempts to solicit Poroshenko’s successor, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to launch an investigation into the Bidens are now at the centre of an impeachment enquiry into the US president. As one of Wall Street Journal’s sources noted, Poroshenko was ready to consider the proposal because, at the time, he was running for reelection and saw a photo op with the US president as an opportunity to boost domestic ratings. The source said that Poroshenko had asked the Ukrainian embassy to make necessary preparations for an official visit between the first and second rounds of the election. The meeting never came to fruition as there was no official invitation from the White House, according to the publication, since Poroshenko was unlikely to win the election. House Democrats last September launched an impeachment enquiry into Trump’s activity after a whistleblower report highlighted a telephone conversation with Zelenskyy. The enquiry is held on grounds of abusing presidential powers, withholding military aid from Ukraine in exchange for the investigation thereby inviting a foreign power to interfere in US elections. Trump denies the charges, saying his phone call with Zelenksyy was "perfect."

Trump associates offered US visit to Ukraine's ex-president for investigation: Report

Two White House national security officials sounded alarms about improper pressure on Ukraine in early July, well before President Donald Trump's bombshell phone call with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky, according to impeachment testimony released Friday.

Fiona Hill and Alexander Vindman told House investigators that on July 10, they reported concerns to White House attorney John Eisenberg over top Trump allies pressuring Kiev for political help for the US leader. That was two weeks before Trump spoke to Zelensky.

Hill said she did so at the instruction of then-national security advisor John Bolton, who was adamantly opposed to the efforts to seek dirt from Ukraine on Trump's Democratic rivals.

She and Vindman both said acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Trump-appointed Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland were behind the pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden.

They said Sondland specifically pushed Ukrainian officials in July 10 meetings for a Biden-focused investigation in exchange for a high-profile meeting between Trump and Zelensky.

Bolton was furious over the effort and halted the initial meeting that day, Hill said.

But Sondland continued in a second meeting, saying it was policy stipulated by Mulvaney, Trump's top aide in the Oval Office.

"You go and tell Eisenberg that I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up on this," Hill said Bolton told her.

"You go and tell him what you've heard and what I've said."

Nevertheless, on July 25 Trump delivered the same message to Zelensky -- that cooperation, including a meeting and military aid, could be contingent on Ukraine opening the investigations the White House sought.

That phone call, after it was exposed by an intelligence community whistleblower, sparked the Congressional investigation that now has Trump facing impeachment for abuse of office. &nbsp;

Sondland drove 'Burisma' probe

Hill, who was the National Security Council's senior director for Europe and Russia at the time, and Vindman, a Ukraine expert who worked under her, said they took part in a July 10 meeting with Ukraine officials in Bolton's office in the White House.&nbsp;

Sondland and US Energy Secretary Rick Perry were also in the meeting.

"The meeting proceeded well until the Ukrainians broached the subject of a meeting between the two presidents," Vindman recounted.

Sondland "said that he had had a conversation with Mr Mulvaney, and this is what was required in order to get a meeting," Vindman said.

At that point, Bolton curtly ended the meeting, both Hill and Vindman said.

But minutes later in another White House room, Sondland continued to press the investigations requirement with the Ukrainians, further alarming the two officials.

Hill said Sondland specifically mentioned Burisma, the Ukraine energy company where Biden's son Hunter had been a director.&nbsp;

Trump has repeatedly accused the Bidens of unspecified "corruption" due to that relationship.

Separately, Hill and Vindman went to Eisenberg, the White House attorney in charge of national security matters, with their concerns.

Their reports made clear that senior officials in the White House were aware of the impropriety and possible illegality of the Ukraine machinations well before Trump and Zelensky spoke on July 25.

In the period in between, other witnesses have said, Mulvaney abruptly froze $391 million in military aid already approved for Ukraine.

After the July 25 call, Vindman again reported his concerns to Eisenberg.

Vindman had listened to the call and said "there was no doubt" Trump was pressuring Ukraine for investigations that could help his 2020 reelection campaign.

But Eisenberg, according to Vindman and other witnesses, hid an abbreviated official transcript of the call in a highly classified computer filing system not normally used for such records, as if to prevent others from ever seeing it.

Two White House national security officials sounded alarms about improper pressure on Ukraine in early July, well before President Donald Trump's bombshell phone call with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky, according to impeachment testimony released Friday.

Two White House national security officials sounded alarms about improper pressure on Ukraine in early July, well before President Donald Trump's bombshell phone call with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky, according to impeachment testimony released Friday. Fiona Hill and Alexander Vindman told House investigators that on July 10, they reported concerns to White House attorney John Eisenberg over top Trump allies pressuring Kiev for political help for the US leader. That was two weeks before Trump spoke to Zelensky. Hill said she did so at the instruction of then-national security advisor John Bolton, who was adamantly opposed to the efforts to seek dirt from Ukraine on Trump's Democratic rivals. She and Vindman both said acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Trump-appointed Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland were behind the pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden. They said Sondland specifically pushed Ukrainian officials in July 10 meetings for a Biden-focused investigation in exchange for a high-profile meeting between Trump and Zelensky. Bolton was furious over the effort and halted the initial meeting that day, Hill said. But Sondland continued in a second meeting, saying it was policy stipulated by Mulvaney, Trump's top aide in the Oval Office. "You go and tell Eisenberg that I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up on this," Hill said Bolton told her. "You go and tell him what you've heard and what I've said." Nevertheless, on July 25 Trump delivered the same message to Zelensky -- that cooperation, including a meeting and military aid, could be contingent on Ukraine opening the investigations the White House sought. That phone call, after it was exposed by an intelligence community whistleblower, sparked the Congressional investigation that now has Trump facing impeachment for abuse of office. Sondland drove 'Burisma' probe Hill, who was the National Security Council's senior director for Europe and Russia at the time, and Vindman, a Ukraine expert who worked under her, said they took part in a July 10 meeting with Ukraine officials in Bolton's office in the White House. Sondland and US Energy Secretary Rick Perry were also in the meeting. "The meeting proceeded well until the Ukrainians broached the subject of a meeting between the two presidents," Vindman recounted. Sondland "said that he had had a conversation with Mr Mulvaney, and this is what was required in order to get a meeting," Vindman said. At that point, Bolton curtly ended the meeting, both Hill and Vindman said. But minutes later in another White House room, Sondland continued to press the investigations requirement with the Ukrainians, further alarming the two officials. Hill said Sondland specifically mentioned Burisma, the Ukraine energy company where Biden's son Hunter had been a director. Trump has repeatedly accused the Bidens of unspecified "corruption" due to that relationship. Separately, Hill and Vindman went to Eisenberg, the White House attorney in charge of national security matters, with their concerns. Their reports made clear that senior officials in the White House were aware of the impropriety and possible illegality of the Ukraine machinations well before Trump and Zelensky spoke on July 25. In the period in between, other witnesses have said, Mulvaney abruptly froze $391 million in military aid already approved for Ukraine. After the July 25 call, Vindman again reported his concerns to Eisenberg. Vindman had listened to the call and said "there was no doubt" Trump was pressuring Ukraine for investigations that could help his 2020 reelection campaign. But Eisenberg, according to Vindman and other witnesses, hid an abbreviated official transcript of the call in a highly classified computer filing system not normally used for such records, as if to prevent others from ever seeing it.

Officials raised alarm over White House Ukraine talks in early July: Testimony

A top US diplomat told congressional investigators that President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday.

George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, told the Trump impeachment inquiry that he was also subject to attacks by Giuliani but was told to "keep my head down" by a senior State Department official.

The Democratic-led inquiry in the House of Representatives is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Joe Biden, a former vice president and now a leading Democratic rival in the November 2020 presidential election.

Giuliani is central to the inquiry and has been mentioned frequently in testimony by State Department diplomats who have painted a picture of the former New York City mayor running a shadow US policy toward Ukraine to pressure it to carry out a corruption investigation into Biden and his son, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company.

Kent mentioned Giuliani 73 times in his testimony to lawmakers delivered behind closed doors on October 15 but only released on Thursday.

Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, was abruptly pulled from her post in May. Kent said Giuliani conducted a smear campaign against the envoy.

"His assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period," Kent testified.

"Mr Giuliani, at that point, had been carrying on a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information about Ambassador Yovanovitch, so this was a continuation of his campaign of lies," Kent said.

Neither Giuliani nor a lawyer for him responded immediately to requests for comment on Kent's testimony.

Kent said Ukrainian officials understood when they met Giuliani that he was not a regular private citizen and understood he represented Trump.

"Giuliani was not consulting with the State Department about what he was doing in the first half of 2019. And to the best of my knowledge, he's never suggested that he was promoting US policy," Kent said.

For nearly a year, Giuliani has pursued unsubstantiated allegations that Biden pushed to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor to stop him from investigating Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company on the board of which Biden's son, Hunter, served.

Giuliani also told Reuters he played a role in the effort to remove Yovanovitch.

Star witnesses

Democrats have been releasing transcripts of the closed-door interviews as they prepare for public hearings in Congress next week. Kent is among the three US diplomats who will serve as star witnesses.

Lawmakers are trying to determine whether Trump froze $391 million in US&nbsp;security assistance for Ukraine to put pressure on Zelenskiy to conduct the investigation, thus misusing US foreign policy for his personal gain.

Trump's defenders say there is no evidence of him and the Ukrainian president engaging in a "quid pro quo" - exchanging favour for favour - because the aid to Ukraine was released and Zelenskiy never explicitly promised anything.

A quid pro quo is not necessary to prove high crimes or misdemeanours, which is the standard the US Constitution requires for the impeachment of a president.

Kent and William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, will testify on November 13. Yovanovitch will testify on November&nbsp;15.

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Thursday night to appear on Friday, an official working on the inquiry said. This week, the White House rebuffed a committee request for Mulvaney to appear.

Mulvaney caused a stir with a statement at an October 17 news conference that the White House had withheld security assistance for Ukraine. "There is going to be political influence in foreign policy," he said.

If the Democratic-controlled House votes to impeach Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove him from office.

Senate Republicans have so far shown little appetite for ousting the president.

The impeachment inquiry met on Thursday for the first time with an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, but former national security adviser John Bolton failed to heed a request to appear.

Lawmakers are also seeking to find out how much Pence knew about efforts by Trump and those around him to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son.

Jennifer Williams, a career foreign service officer and special adviser to Pence for Europe and Russia, was testifying to members of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees after receiving a subpoena to compel her testimony.

Williams told investigators she found Trump's July call with Zelenskiy unusual because it was political, not diplomatic in nature, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source.

But she did not raise concerns about the call with her superiors and, when asked what Pence knew, said she never heard him mention anything about investigation of the 2016 elections, Burisma or the Bidens.

Bolton, a foreign policy hawk fired by Trump in September, was also called to appear on Thursday but did not show, and his attorney said he would not testify voluntarily.

An official of the House Intelligence Committee said Bolton had threatened to take the committee to court if it subpoenas him. A congressional source said the inquiry was unlikely to go down that route.

Bolton's office and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

The Washington Post, citing people familiar with Bolton's views, said although he is willing, he wants to first see how a court battle between Congress and the White House over the constitutionality of the subpoenas shakes out.

The battle is likely to go to the Supreme Court and could spill into next year.

A top US diplomat told congressional investigators that President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday.

A top US diplomat told congressional investigators that President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday. George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, told the Trump impeachment inquiry that he was also subject to attacks by Giuliani but was told to "keep my head down" by a senior State Department official. The Democratic-led inquiry in the House of Representatives is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Joe Biden, a former vice president and now a leading Democratic rival in the November 2020 presidential election. Giuliani is central to the inquiry and has been mentioned frequently in testimony by State Department diplomats who have painted a picture of the former New York City mayor running a shadow US policy toward Ukraine to pressure it to carry out a corruption investigation into Biden and his son, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company. Kent mentioned Giuliani 73 times in his testimony to lawmakers delivered behind closed doors on October 15 but only released on Thursday. Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, was abruptly pulled from her post in May. Kent said Giuliani conducted a smear campaign against the envoy. "His assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period," Kent testified. "Mr Giuliani, at that point, had been carrying on a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information about Ambassador Yovanovitch, so this was a continuation of his campaign of lies," Kent said. Neither Giuliani nor a lawyer for him responded immediately to requests for comment on Kent's testimony. Kent said Ukrainian officials understood when they met Giuliani that he was not a regular private citizen and understood he represented Trump. "Giuliani was not consulting with the State Department about what he was doing in the first half of 2019. And to the best of my knowledge, he's never suggested that he was promoting US policy," Kent said. For nearly a year, Giuliani has pursued unsubstantiated allegations that Biden pushed to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor to stop him from investigating Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company on the board of which Biden's son, Hunter, served. Giuliani also told Reuters he played a role in the effort to remove Yovanovitch. Star witnesses Democrats have been releasing transcripts of the closed-door interviews as they prepare for public hearings in Congress next week. Kent is among the three US diplomats who will serve as star witnesses. Lawmakers are trying to determine whether Trump froze $391 million in US security assistance for Ukraine to put pressure on Zelenskiy to conduct the investigation, thus misusing US foreign policy for his personal gain. Trump's defenders say there is no evidence of him and the Ukrainian president engaging in a "quid pro quo" - exchanging favour for favour - because the aid to Ukraine was released and Zelenskiy never explicitly promised anything. A quid pro quo is not necessary to prove high crimes or misdemeanours, which is the standard the US Constitution requires for the impeachment of a president. Kent and William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, will testify on November 13. Yovanovitch will testify on November 15. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Thursday night to appear on Friday, an official working on the inquiry said. This week, the White House rebuffed a committee request for Mulvaney to appear. Mulvaney caused a stir with a statement at an October 17 news conference that the White House had withheld security assistance for Ukraine. "There is going to be political influence in foreign policy," he said. If the Democratic-controlled House votes to impeach Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove him from office. Senate Republicans have so far shown little appetite for ousting the president. The impeachment inquiry met on Thursday for the first time with an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, but former national security adviser John Bolton failed to heed a request to appear. Lawmakers are also seeking to find out how much Pence knew about efforts by Trump and those around him to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son. Jennifer Williams, a career foreign service officer and special adviser to Pence for Europe and Russia, was testifying to members of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees after receiving a subpoena to compel her testimony. Williams told investigators she found Trump's July call with Zelenskiy unusual because it was political, not diplomatic in nature, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source. But she did not raise concerns about the call with her superiors and, when asked what Pence knew, said she never heard him mention anything about investigation of the 2016 elections, Burisma or the Bidens. Bolton, a foreign policy hawk fired by Trump in September, was also called to appear on Thursday but did not show, and his attorney said he would not testify voluntarily. An official of the House Intelligence Committee said Bolton had threatened to take the committee to court if it subpoenas him. A congressional source said the inquiry was unlikely to go down that route. Bolton's office and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment. The Washington Post, citing people familiar with Bolton's views, said although he is willing, he wants to first see how a court battle between Congress and the White House over the constitutionality of the subpoenas shakes out. The battle is likely to go to the Supreme Court and could spill into next year.

US diplomat says Giuliani waged campaign of 'lies' against envoy to Ukraine

Ukraine's army and Kremlin-backed separatists are set Friday to complete the last phase of a troop pullback in the war-torn east in a key step towards a high-stakes summit with Russia.

The long-awaited move is a precondition for the first face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

The summit, whose date has yet to be set, will be mediated by French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel.

As long as no ceasefire violations take place in the area, the withdrawal was due to start around noon (10:00 GMT) in the Donetsk region between the villages of Petrivske in the separatist-controlled zone and Bogdanivka in Kiev-controlled territory, Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Ageyev told AFP.

But in a sign of persisting tensions, a Kiev soldier was killed Thursday in the Donetsk region although not in the disengagement area, the army said.

The warring sides held two similar pullbacks in June and October.&nbsp;

The withdrawal of forces would be the "final precondition" for organising the four-way summit, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said this week.

He has expressed hope that the meeting, the first at such a high level since 2016, could take place in Paris in November.

'Many questions' unresolved

The summit has been repeatedly postponed as previous attempts to organise pullbacks of troops have failed, most recently on Monday.

Russia has said it backs a new summit but refused to commit to a timetable.

"We want to hold the summit as soon as possible, but at the same time we consider this summit has to be well organised to ensure it gets the necessary results," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

He added it was "too early to say" whether the meeting could take place this year because "many questions" remained unresolved.

The troop pullbacks are one of the Kremlin's conditions to stage a summit that Kiev hopes could restart the stalled peace process.

Soldiers on Friday were set to signal their intention to withdraw by firing a flare before moving back a kilometre, Kiev said.

Monitors from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will be observing the disengagement which could be spread over several days.

If the pullback goes ahead, it raises the possibility of a withdrawal along the more than 400-kilometre (249-mile) frontline.

Since coming to power in May, comedian-turned-president Zelensky, 41, has sought to revive a peace process to end the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine that has claimed some 13,000 lives since 2014.

But those efforts have stalled as Zelensky's plan, including the troop pullback, has been strongly criticised in Kiev, especially by war veterans and nationalists.

In the run-up to the summit, Ukrainian, Russian and separatist negotiators also agreed on a roadmap that envisages a special status for the separatist territories if they conduct free and fair elections under the Ukrainian constitution.

The war in eastern Ukraine broke out a month after Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of giving financial and military backing to separatists, which Russia denies.

Ukraine's army and Kremlin-backed separatists are set Friday to complete the last phase of a troop pullback in the war-torn east in a key step towards a high-stakes summit with Russia.

Ukraine's army and Kremlin-backed separatists are set Friday to complete the last phase of a troop pullback in the war-torn east in a key step towards a high-stakes summit with Russia. The long-awaited move is a precondition for the first face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. The summit, whose date has yet to be set, will be mediated by French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel. As long as no ceasefire violations take place in the area, the withdrawal was due to start around noon (10:00 GMT) in the Donetsk region between the villages of Petrivske in the separatist-controlled zone and Bogdanivka in Kiev-controlled territory, Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Ageyev told AFP. But in a sign of persisting tensions, a Kiev soldier was killed Thursday in the Donetsk region although not in the disengagement area, the army said. The warring sides held two similar pullbacks in June and October. The withdrawal of forces would be the "final precondition" for organising the four-way summit, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said this week. He has expressed hope that the meeting, the first at such a high level since 2016, could take place in Paris in November. 'Many questions' unresolved The summit has been repeatedly postponed as previous attempts to organise pullbacks of troops have failed, most recently on Monday. Russia has said it backs a new summit but refused to commit to a timetable. "We want to hold the summit as soon as possible, but at the same time we consider this summit has to be well organised to ensure it gets the necessary results," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday. He added it was "too early to say" whether the meeting could take place this year because "many questions" remained unresolved. The troop pullbacks are one of the Kremlin's conditions to stage a summit that Kiev hopes could restart the stalled peace process. Soldiers on Friday were set to signal their intention to withdraw by firing a flare before moving back a kilometre, Kiev said. Monitors from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will be observing the disengagement which could be spread over several days. If the pullback goes ahead, it raises the possibility of a withdrawal along the more than 400-kilometre (249-mile) frontline. Since coming to power in May, comedian-turned-president Zelensky, 41, has sought to revive a peace process to end the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine that has claimed some 13,000 lives since 2014. But those efforts have stalled as Zelensky's plan, including the troop pullback, has been strongly criticised in Kiev, especially by war veterans and nationalists. In the run-up to the summit, Ukrainian, Russian and separatist negotiators also agreed on a roadmap that envisages a special status for the separatist territories if they conduct free and fair elections under the Ukrainian constitution. The war in eastern Ukraine broke out a month after Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of giving financial and military backing to separatists, which Russia denies.

Ukraine foes to pull back troops ahead of Russia summit

The U.N.'s top court said on Friday it had jurisdiction to hear a case brought by Ukraine accusing Russia of supporting rebels in war-torn eastern Ukraine.

Russia had asked the International Court of Justice in September 2018 to throw out Kiev's case, saying the tribunal had no right to deal with the matter.

Ukraine dragged Russia to the Hague-based court in 2017 saying it had breached a U.N. convention on the financing of terrorism by funnelling arms and cash to pro-Russian fighters.

ICJ President Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said the court "finds that it has jurisdiction... to entertain the claims made by Ukraine."

Kiev is seeking damages for attacks blamed on the pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine, where more than 13,000 people have died since the war broke out more than five years ago.

These include 298 people killed when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over rebel territory in July 2014.

A Dutch court is due in March 2020 to begin the trial of three Ukrainians and one Russian over the MH17 crash.

The ICJ judgement came as Ukraine's army and Kremlin-backed separatists were set to complete the last phase of a troop pullback in war-torn eastern Ukraine on Saturday.&nbsp;

The ICJ was set up in 1946 to rule in disputes between countries in a bid to create a new global era of harmony after World War II.

The U.N.'s top court said on Friday it had jurisdiction to hear a case brought by Ukraine accusing Russia of supporting rebels in war-torn eastern Ukraine. Russia had asked the International Court of Justice in September 2018 to throw out Kiev's case, saying the tribunal had no right to deal with the matter.

The U.N.'s top court said on Friday it had jurisdiction to hear a case brought by Ukraine accusing Russia of supporting rebels in war-torn eastern Ukraine. Russia had asked the International Court of Justice in September 2018 to throw out Kiev's case, saying the tribunal had no right to deal with the matter. Ukraine dragged Russia to the Hague-based court in 2017 saying it had breached a U.N. convention on the financing of terrorism by funnelling arms and cash to pro-Russian fighters. ICJ President Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said the court "finds that it has jurisdiction... to entertain the claims made by Ukraine." Kiev is seeking damages for attacks blamed on the pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine, where more than 13,000 people have died since the war broke out more than five years ago. These include 298 people killed when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over rebel territory in July 2014. A Dutch court is due in March 2020 to begin the trial of three Ukrainians and one Russian over the MH17 crash. The ICJ judgement came as Ukraine's army and Kremlin-backed separatists were set to complete the last phase of a troop pullback in war-torn eastern Ukraine on Saturday. The ICJ was set up in 1946 to rule in disputes between countries in a bid to create a new global era of harmony after World War II.

Ukraine case against Russia over war can proceed: United Nations court

A top US&nbsp;diplomat told congressional investigators that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-impeachment-hearings-trump-may-expand-communications-team-to-bolster-defense-260440">President Donald Trump's</a> personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday.

George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, told the Trump impeachment enquiry that he was also subject to attacks by Giuliani but was told to "keep my head down" by a senior State Department official.

The Democratic-led enquiry in the House of Representatives is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, a former vice president and now a leading Democratic rival in the November 2020 presidential election.

Giuliani is central to the enquiry and has been mentioned frequently in testimony by State Department diplomats who have painted a picture of the former New York City mayor running a shadow US&nbsp;policy toward Ukraine to pressure it to carry out a corruption investigation into Biden and his son, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company.

Kent mentioned Giuliani 73 times in his testimony to lawmakers delivered behind closed doors on October&nbsp;15 but only released on Thursday.

Marie Yovanovitch, the former US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine, was abruptly pulled from her post in May. Kent said Giuliani conducted a smear campaign against the envoy.

"His assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period," Kent testified.

"Mr. Giuliani, at that point, had been carrying on a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information about Ambassador Yovanovitch, so this was a continuation of his campaign of lies," Kent said.

Neither Giuliani nor a lawyer for him responded immediately to requests for comment on Kent's testimony.

Kent said Ukrainian officials understood when they met Giuliani that he was not a regular private citizen and understood he represented Trump.

"Giuliani was not consulting with the State Department about what he was doing in the first half of 2019. And to the best of my knowledge, he's never suggested that he was promoting US&nbsp;policy," Kent said.

For nearly a year, Giuliani has pursued unsubstantiated allegations that Biden pushed to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor to stop him from investigating Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company on the board of which Biden's son, Hunter, served.

Giuliani also told Reuters he played a role in the effort to remove Yovanovitch.

Star Witnesses

Democrats have been releasing transcripts of the closed-door interviews as they prepare for public hearings in Congress next week. Kent is among the three US&nbsp;diplomats who will serve as star witnesses.

Lawmakers are trying to determine whether Trump froze $391 million in US&nbsp;security assistance for Ukraine to put pressure on Zelenskiy to conduct the investigation, thus misusing US&nbsp;foreign policy for his personal gain.

Trump's defenders say there is no evidence of him and the Ukrainian president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/public-hearings-in-trump-impeachment-probe-start-next-week-us-lawmaker-260398">engaging in a "quid pro quo"</a>,&nbsp;exchanging a favour for a favour,&nbsp;because the aid to Ukraine was released and Zelenskiy never explicitly promised anything.

A quid pro quo is not necessary to prove high crimes or misdemeanours, which is the standard the US&nbsp;Constitution requires for the impeachment of a president.

Kent and William Taylor, the top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, will testify on November 13. Yovanovitch will testify on November&nbsp;15.

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Thursday night to appear on Friday, an official working on the enquiry said. This week, the White House rebuffed a committee request for Mulvaney to appear.

Mulvaney caused a stir with a statement at an October&nbsp;17 news conference that the White House had withheld security assistance for Ukraine. "There is going to be political influence in foreign policy," he said.

If the Democratic-controlled House votes to impeach Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove him from office.

Senate Republicans have so far shown little appetite for ousting the president.

The impeachment enquiry met on Thursday for the first time with an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, but former national security adviser John Bolton failed to heed a request to appear.

Lawmakers are also seeking to find out how much Pence knew about efforts by Trump and those around him to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son.

Jennifer Williams, a career foreign service officer and special adviser to Pence for Europe and Russia, was testifying to members of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees after receiving a subpoena to compel her testimony.

Williams told investigators she found <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-chief-of-staff-summoned-to-testify-in-impeachment-probe-260220">Trump's July call with Zelenskiy unusual</a> because it was political, not diplomatic in nature, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source.

But she did not raise concerns about the call with her superiors and, when asked what Pence knew, said she never heard him mention anything about the investigation of the 2016 elections, Burisma or the Bidens.

Bolton, a foreign policy hawk fired by Trump in September, was also called to appear on Thursday but did not show, and his attorney said he would not testify voluntarily.

An official of the House Intelligence Committee said Bolton had threatened to take the committee to court if it subpoenas him. A congressional source said the enquiry was unlikely to go down that route.

Bolton's office and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

The Washington Post, citing people familiar with Bolton's views, said although he is willing, he wants to first see how a court battle between Congress and the White House over the constitutionality of the subpoenas shakes out.

The battle is likely to go to the Supreme Court and could spill into next year.

A top US diplomat told congressional investigators that President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani conducted a "campaign full of lies" against the US ambassador to Ukraine before she was recalled from her post, according to a transcript of his testimony released on Thursday. George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, told the Trump impeachment enquiry that he was also subject to attacks by Giuliani but was told to "keep my head down" by a senior State Department official. The Democratic-led enquiry in the House of Representatives is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, a former vice president and now a leading Democratic rival in the November 2020 presidential election. Giuliani is central to the enquiry and has been mentioned frequently in testimony by State Department diplomats who have painted a picture of the former New York City mayor running a shadow US policy toward Ukraine to pressure it to carry out a corruption investigation into Biden and his son, who worked for a Ukrainian gas company. Kent mentioned Giuliani 73 times in his testimony to lawmakers delivered behind closed doors on October 15 but only released on Thursday. Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, was abruptly pulled from her post in May. Kent said Giuliani conducted a smear campaign against the envoy. "His assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period," Kent testified. "Mr. Giuliani, at that point, had been carrying on a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information about Ambassador Yovanovitch, so this was a continuation of his campaign of lies," Kent said. Neither Giuliani nor a lawyer for him responded immediately to requests for comment on Kent's testimony. Kent said Ukrainian officials understood when they met Giuliani that he was not a regular private citizen and understood he represented Trump. "Giuliani was not consulting with the State Department about what he was doing in the first half of 2019. And to the best of my knowledge, he's never suggested that he was promoting US policy," Kent said. For nearly a year, Giuliani has pursued unsubstantiated allegations that Biden pushed to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor to stop him from investigating Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company on the board of which Biden's son, Hunter, served. Giuliani also told Reuters he played a role in the effort to remove Yovanovitch. Star Witnesses Democrats have been releasing transcripts of the closed-door interviews as they prepare for public hearings in Congress next week. Kent is among the three US diplomats who will serve as star witnesses. Lawmakers are trying to determine whether Trump froze $391 million in US security assistance for Ukraine to put pressure on Zelenskiy to conduct the investigation, thus misusing US foreign policy for his personal gain. Trump's defenders say there is no evidence of him and the Ukrainian president engaging in a "quid pro quo", exchanging a favour for a favour, because the aid to Ukraine was released and Zelenskiy never explicitly promised anything. A quid pro quo is not necessary to prove high crimes or misdemeanours, which is the standard the US Constitution requires for the impeachment of a president. Kent and William Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine, will testify on November 13. Yovanovitch will testify on November 15. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee Thursday night to appear on Friday, an official working on the enquiry said. This week, the White House rebuffed a committee request for Mulvaney to appear. Mulvaney caused a stir with a statement at an October 17 news conference that the White House had withheld security assistance for Ukraine. "There is going to be political influence in foreign policy," he said. If the Democratic-controlled House votes to impeach Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate would then hold a trial on whether to remove him from office. Senate Republicans have so far shown little appetite for ousting the president. The impeachment enquiry met on Thursday for the first time with an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, but former national security adviser John Bolton failed to heed a request to appear. Lawmakers are also seeking to find out how much Pence knew about efforts by Trump and those around him to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son. Jennifer Williams, a career foreign service officer and special adviser to Pence for Europe and Russia, was testifying to members of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees after receiving a subpoena to compel her testimony. Williams told investigators she found Trump's July call with Zelenskiy unusual because it was political, not diplomatic in nature, CNN reported, citing an unnamed source. But she did not raise concerns about the call with her superiors and, when asked what Pence knew, said she never heard him mention anything about the investigation of the 2016 elections, Burisma or the Bidens. Bolton, a foreign policy hawk fired by Trump in September, was also called to appear on Thursday but did not show, and his attorney said he would not testify voluntarily. An official of the House Intelligence Committee said Bolton had threatened to take the committee to court if it subpoenas him. A congressional source said the enquiry was unlikely to go down that route. Bolton's office and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment. The Washington Post, citing people familiar with Bolton's views, said although he is willing, he wants to first see how a court battle between Congress and the White House over the constitutionality of the subpoenas shakes out. The battle is likely to go to the Supreme Court and could spill into next year.

Giuliani waged campaign of 'lies' against envoy to Ukraine: United States diplomat

US President Donald Trump impeachment public hearings to begin next week. To know more watch the video.

Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Public Hearings to start next week

A&nbsp;top&nbsp;ally&nbsp;of President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;admitted he told a&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;official that US military&nbsp;aid&nbsp;was contingent on Kyiv investigating&nbsp;Trump's Democratic rival Joe&nbsp;Biden, testimony released Tuesday showed.

In some of the most damning evidence yet to the House impeachment inquiry of&nbsp;Trump, Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, said he told a senior&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;official that military&nbsp;aid&nbsp;would likely not be released until Kyiv made clear it would investigate&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;and his son's ties to&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;energy firm Burisma.

Sondland, in amended testimony that reversed his earlier denial, admitted he laid out the allegedly illegal quid pro quo in a September 1 discussion with Andriy&nbsp;Yermak, a&nbsp;top&nbsp;advisor to&nbsp;Ukrainian&nbsp;President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Sondland said it was the culmination of months of pressure placed on Kyiv, primarily via&nbsp;Trump's personal lawyer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rudy-giulianis-associate-lev-parnas-will-comply-with-trump-impeachment-inquiry-260111">Rudy Giuliani</a>, to open "anti-corruption" investigations into the Bidens and into&nbsp;Trump's unfounded belief that&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;assisted the Democrats in the 2016 election.

Sondland told Yermak "that resumption of US&nbsp;aid&nbsp;would not likely occur until&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;provided the anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for weeks," he told investigators.

The White House has repeatedly denied there was any link between the&nbsp;aid&nbsp;and any demands by&nbsp;Trump, despite the evidence from the summary of a July 25 phone call,&nbsp;just one week after&nbsp;aid&nbsp;was frozen,&nbsp;in which&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;sought a "favor" from Zelensky and referred directly to&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;and the 2016 issue.

Sondland, appointed ambassador by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;after donating $1 million to his inauguration, said he was fully aware of the linkage made between the $391 million in US military&nbsp;aid&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;helping&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;prepare to fight for reelection next year.

"I presumed that the&nbsp;aid&nbsp;suspension had become linked to the proposed anti-corruption statement" Zelensky was told to make regarding&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;and 2016 probes.

Sondland admitted to impeachment investigators that he understood the linkage was "improper."

Asked if it was illegal, Sondland responded: "I'm not a lawyer, but I assume so."Sondland's testimony, and that of Kurt Volker, the former US Special Representative to&nbsp;Ukraine, appeared to strengthen Democrats' charges that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;abused his office by seeking foreign help for his 2020 election campaign and should be impeached and removed from office.

The testimony, taken in private last month, was released as the House prepares for the second phase of the impeachment inquiry, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/committee-releases-first-transcripts-in-trump-impeachment-inquiry-259964">open hearings</a> that could within several weeks lead to articles of impeachment being passed by the House.

The White House, in a statement, said their testimony offered no new evidence for "this illegitimate impeachment sham."

The White House continued to block senior officials from testifying, and was expected to do the same in response to a Democrats' Tuesday request to&nbsp;Trump's chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and be interviewed by investigators.

Other witnesses have said that Mulvaney was responsible for freezing the&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;aid&nbsp;in mid-July, and that he told others it was done at&nbsp;Trump's command.

"No amount of salacious media-biased headlines, which are clearly designed to influence the narrative, change the fact that the president has done nothing wrong," said White House spokesperson Stephanie Grisham in a statement.

Yet, according to the transcripts, both Sondland and Volker described&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;as being transfixed by the wholly unsubstantiated idea, popular in Republican circles, that&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;assisted Democrats in their efforts to defeat&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;in the 2016 presidential election.

They also describe Giuliani as being&nbsp;Trump's point man for pushing Zelensky's government into finding dirt on&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;and the Democrats.

"He just kept saying: talk to Rudy, talk to Rudy," Sondland said of a May meeting with&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;on&nbsp;Ukraine.

A top ally of President Donald Trump admitted he told a Ukraine official that US military aid was contingent on Kyiv investigating Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden, testimony released Tuesday showed.

A top ally of President Donald Trump admitted he told a Ukraine official that US military aid was contingent on Kyiv investigating Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden, testimony released Tuesday showed. In some of the most damning evidence yet to the House impeachment inquiry of Trump, Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, said he told a senior Ukraine official that military aid would likely not be released until Kyiv made clear it would investigate Biden and his son's ties to Ukraine energy firm Burisma. Sondland, in amended testimony that reversed his earlier denial, admitted he laid out the allegedly illegal quid pro quo in a September 1 discussion with Andriy Yermak, a top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sondland said it was the culmination of months of pressure placed on Kyiv, primarily via Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, to open "anti-corruption" investigations into the Bidens and into Trump's unfounded belief that Ukraine assisted the Democrats in the 2016 election. Sondland told Yermak "that resumption of US aid would not likely occur until Ukraine provided the anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for weeks," he told investigators. The White House has repeatedly denied there was any link between the aid and any demands by Trump, despite the evidence from the summary of a July 25 phone call, just one week after aid was frozen, in which Trump sought a "favor" from Zelensky and referred directly to Biden and the 2016 issue. Sondland, appointed ambassador by Trump after donating $1 million to his inauguration, said he was fully aware of the linkage made between the $391 million in US military aid and Ukraine helping Trump prepare to fight for reelection next year. "I presumed that the aid suspension had become linked to the proposed anti-corruption statement" Zelensky was told to make regarding Biden and 2016 probes. Sondland admitted to impeachment investigators that he understood the linkage was "improper." Asked if it was illegal, Sondland responded: "I'm not a lawyer, but I assume so."Sondland's testimony, and that of Kurt Volker, the former US Special Representative to Ukraine, appeared to strengthen Democrats' charges that Trump abused his office by seeking foreign help for his 2020 election campaign and should be impeached and removed from office. The testimony, taken in private last month, was released as the House prepares for the second phase of the impeachment inquiry, open hearings that could within several weeks lead to articles of impeachment being passed by the House. The White House, in a statement, said their testimony offered no new evidence for "this illegitimate impeachment sham." The White House continued to block senior officials from testifying, and was expected to do the same in response to a Democrats' Tuesday request to Trump's chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and be interviewed by investigators. Other witnesses have said that Mulvaney was responsible for freezing the Ukraine aid in mid-July, and that he told others it was done at Trump's command. "No amount of salacious media-biased headlines, which are clearly designed to influence the narrative, change the fact that the president has done nothing wrong," said White House spokesperson Stephanie Grisham in a statement. Yet, according to the transcripts, both Sondland and Volker described Trump as being transfixed by the wholly unsubstantiated idea, popular in Republican circles, that Ukraine assisted Democrats in their efforts to defeat Trump in the 2016 presidential election. They also describe Giuliani as being Trump's point man for pushing Zelensky's government into finding dirt on Biden and the Democrats. "He just kept saying: talk to Rudy, talk to Rudy," Sondland said of a May meeting with Trump on Ukraine.

Top Trump ally admits tying Ukraine aid to Biden investigation

Testimony&nbsp;by&nbsp;two&nbsp;of the "three amigos" charged with running&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;policy for President Donald Trump will be made&nbsp;public&nbsp;on Tuesday, as Democratic-led congressional committees <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/committee-releases-first-transcripts-in-trump-impeachment-inquiry-259964">release more transcripts</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;their impeachment investigation.

Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Monday that transcripts would be released of interviews with Kurt Volker,&nbsp;Trump's&nbsp;former special representative for&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;negotiations, and Gordon Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union.

Witnesses have testified that Volker and Sondland, with&nbsp;Trump's&nbsp;secretary of energy, Rick Perry, were known as the "three amigos," responsible for&nbsp;Trump's&nbsp;unofficial channel to Ukrainian government officials.

Volker resigned as special representative in September. He testified to the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight panels for more than eight hours behind closed doors on October&nbsp;3.

Sondland, a major Trump donor, testified on October&nbsp;17.

Perry, a former Texas governor who said he was resigning&nbsp;from&nbsp;his Cabinet post as of December&nbsp;1, has refused to date to testify.

Tuesday's will be the second&nbsp;public&nbsp;release of&nbsp;testimony&nbsp;in the impeachment investigation of Trump that Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally launched on September&nbsp;24.

On Monday, the committees released transcripts of&nbsp;testimony&nbsp;by Marie Yovanovitch, whom Trump abruptly recalled as ambassador to&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;in May, and Michael McKinley, a former top adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

In their interviews, Yovanovitch and McKinley said the State Department was being used for domestic political purposes under Trump and warned that would hurt American interests.

The House investigation is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democratic rival as Trump seeks re-election in November 2020.

Trump froze nearly $400 million in US&nbsp;military assistance to&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;shortly before speaking to Zelenskiy, prompting accusations&nbsp;from&nbsp;Democrats that he had misused US&nbsp;foreign policy for personal gain.

Strongly backed by his fellow Republicans in Congress, Trump has denied wrongdoing and accused Democrats of unfairly targeting him in the hope of reversing his surprise election victory in 2016.

The committees began releasing interview transcripts as they prepare for&nbsp;public&nbsp;hearings that could start this month.

According to accounts of their&nbsp;testimony&nbsp;already&nbsp;public, both Sondland and Volker discussed communications between&nbsp;Trump's&nbsp;private attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and Ukrainian officials with House investigators.

Volker turned over text messages concerning&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;among himself, Giuliani and other diplomats.

Sondland testified that Trump directed him, Perry and Volker to talk to Giuliani about his concerns about corruption in&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;and that the three were dismayed by that order.

He said he did not understand "until much later" that Giuliani's agenda included a push for&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;to investigate Biden. Sondland also said it would be wrong to get a foreign government to launch investigations in order to influence a U.S. election.

The committees have also scheduled more closed-door&nbsp;testimony&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;from&nbsp;Michael Duffey, associate director of the White House budget office, and Wells Griffith, senior director for international energy and the environment on the White House National Security Council.

Officials have said they do not expect either to appear, after four White House witnesses failed to testify on Monday.

Schiff said the failure of the witnesses to show up was more evidence against Trump. "This will only further add to the body of evidence on a potential obstruction of Congress charge against the president," Schiff told reporters.

Testimony by two of the "three amigos" charged with running Ukraine policy for President Donald Trump will be made public on Tuesday, as Democratic-led congressional committees release more transcripts from their impeachment investigation.

Testimony by two of the "three amigos" charged with running Ukraine policy for President Donald Trump will be made public on Tuesday, as Democratic-led congressional committees release more transcripts from their impeachment investigation. Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Monday that transcripts would be released of interviews with Kurt Volker, Trump's former special representative for Ukraine negotiations, and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union. Witnesses have testified that Volker and Sondland, with Trump's secretary of energy, Rick Perry, were known as the "three amigos," responsible for Trump's unofficial channel to Ukrainian government officials. Volker resigned as special representative in September. He testified to the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight panels for more than eight hours behind closed doors on October 3. Sondland, a major Trump donor, testified on October 17. Perry, a former Texas governor who said he was resigning from his Cabinet post as of December 1, has refused to date to testify. Tuesday's will be the second public release of testimony in the impeachment investigation of Trump that Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally launched on September 24. On Monday, the committees released transcripts of testimony by Marie Yovanovitch, whom Trump abruptly recalled as ambassador to Ukraine in May, and Michael McKinley, a former top adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In their interviews, Yovanovitch and McKinley said the State Department was being used for domestic political purposes under Trump and warned that would hurt American interests. The House investigation is focused on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democratic rival as Trump seeks re-election in November 2020. Trump froze nearly $400 million in US military assistance to Ukraine shortly before speaking to Zelenskiy, prompting accusations from Democrats that he had misused US foreign policy for personal gain. Strongly backed by his fellow Republicans in Congress, Trump has denied wrongdoing and accused Democrats of unfairly targeting him in the hope of reversing his surprise election victory in 2016. The committees began releasing interview transcripts as they prepare for public hearings that could start this month. According to accounts of their testimony already public, both Sondland and Volker discussed communications between Trump's private attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and Ukrainian officials with House investigators. Volker turned over text messages concerning Ukraine among himself, Giuliani and other diplomats. Sondland testified that Trump directed him, Perry and Volker to talk to Giuliani about his concerns about corruption in Ukraine and that the three were dismayed by that order. He said he did not understand "until much later" that Giuliani's agenda included a push for Ukraine to investigate Biden. Sondland also said it would be wrong to get a foreign government to launch investigations in order to influence a U.S. election. The committees have also scheduled more closed-door testimony on Tuesday from Michael Duffey, associate director of the White House budget office, and Wells Griffith, senior director for international energy and the environment on the White House National Security Council. Officials have said they do not expect either to appear, after four White House witnesses failed to testify on Monday. Schiff said the failure of the witnesses to show up was more evidence against Trump. "This will only further add to the body of evidence on a potential obstruction of Congress charge against the president," Schiff told reporters.

Testimony from two of Trump's Ukraine policymakers to become public

Documents released by the US Department of Justice on Saturday indicated that a top advisor to then-candidate Donald Trump said as early as the summer of 2016 that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind a hack of Democratic party emails.

Trump and his surrogates have suggested that Kiev hacked Democratic National Committee servers and planted evidence to frame Russia, as a way of undermining the legitimacy of the US leader's election.&nbsp;

Trump has pressured Ukraine's president to investigate that debunked conspiracy theory as well as his election rival Joe Biden -- a move at the crux of an impeachment investigation against him in the House of Representatives.

The hundreds of pages of documents out Saturday were part of an initial tranche released to US media outlets Buzzfeed and CNN, which sued the government for access to notes from the investigation conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Installments of the internal documents from the Mueller probe, which concluded in March, will be released every month for the next eight years, Buzzfeed said.

Campaign chairman Paul Manafort spread the theory among his aides that Ukraine -- not Russia -- had hacked the Democratic National Committee, deputy campaign manager Rick Gates told the FBI, according to a heavily redacted summary of an interview conducted by the agency.

In July 2016, WikiLeaks began publishing thousands of Democratic National Committee emails, embarrassing Trump's election rival Hillary Clinton. US intelligence later said that the emails were hacked by Russian spies and handed over to WikiLeaks.

The documents released Saturday also showed how Trump, his top aides and family members repeatedly discussed how to get the hacked Democratic emails that WikiLeaks had obtained.

Documents released by the US Department of Justice on Saturday indicated that a top advisor to then-candidate Donald Trump said as early as the summer of 2016 that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind a hack of Democratic party emails.

Documents released by the US Department of Justice on Saturday indicated that a top advisor to then-candidate Donald Trump said as early as the summer of 2016 that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind a hack of Democratic party emails. Trump and his surrogates have suggested that Kiev hacked Democratic National Committee servers and planted evidence to frame Russia, as a way of undermining the legitimacy of the US leader's election. Trump has pressured Ukraine's president to investigate that debunked conspiracy theory as well as his election rival Joe Biden -- a move at the crux of an impeachment investigation against him in the House of Representatives. The hundreds of pages of documents out Saturday were part of an initial tranche released to US media outlets Buzzfeed and CNN, which sued the government for access to notes from the investigation conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Installments of the internal documents from the Mueller probe, which concluded in March, will be released every month for the next eight years, Buzzfeed said. Campaign chairman Paul Manafort spread the theory among his aides that Ukraine -- not Russia -- had hacked the Democratic National Committee, deputy campaign manager Rick Gates told the FBI, according to a heavily redacted summary of an interview conducted by the agency. In July 2016, WikiLeaks began publishing thousands of Democratic National Committee emails, embarrassing Trump's election rival Hillary Clinton. US intelligence later said that the emails were hacked by Russian spies and handed over to WikiLeaks. The documents released Saturday also showed how Trump, his top aides and family members repeatedly discussed how to get the hacked Democratic emails that WikiLeaks had obtained.

Trump aide said Ukraine behind Democratic party hack: Report

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.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

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'

Two U.S. State Department officials will testify before House of Representatives investigators in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump on Wednesday while lawmakers prepare to weigh rules formalizing the impeachment process ahead.

Your Story: State Dept. Ukraine expert arrives at Capitol

A senior White House official testified on Tuesday he was so alarmed by hearing US&nbsp;President Donald Trump ask Ukraine's president to investigate a political rival, Democrat Joe Biden, that he reported the matter to a White House lawyer.

Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman became the first current White House staff member to testify in the Democratic-led House of Representatives inquiry into whether to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-begins-trump-impeachment-inquiry-over-call-to-ukraine-leader-251866">impeach the Republican</a> president.

The Ukraine specialist gave a closed-door deposition for more than 10 hours as Democrats unveiled legislation calling for public hearings and a public report in the impeachment inquiry to blunt Republican criticism the probe has been conducted with too much secrecy.

While the Democrats met Republican demands for a full House vote on impeachment inquiry procedures, holding <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-to-vote-on-thursday-on-how-to-make-trump-impeachment-probe-public-258587">public hearings</a> and releasing transcripts taken in secret, senior Republicans rejected the legislation before it was even introduced.

Appearing on Capitol Hill in his military dress uniform, Vindman, a Ukraine-born US&nbsp;citizen and decorated Iraq war combat veteran, became the first person to testify who listened in on the July 25 call at the heart of the Ukraine scandal.

The inquiry has focused on Trump's request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky&nbsp;on the call that he investigate Biden, a former vice president, and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company.

Trump also asked Zelenskiy to investigate a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US&nbsp;election.

Trump made his request after withholding $391 million in security aid approved by Congress to help Ukraine fight Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky&nbsp;agreed to Trump's requests. The aid was later provided.

"I was concerned by the call," Vindman said in his prepared opening statement to the three House committees conducting the inquiry. "I did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a US&nbsp;citizen, and I was worried about the implications for the US&nbsp;government's support of Ukraine."

"I realized that if Ukraine pursued an investigation into the Bidens and Burisma, it would likely be interpreted as a partisan play which would undoubtedly result in Ukraine losing the bipartisan support it has thus far maintained. This would all undermine US&nbsp;national security," Vindman added.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with Ukraine and has called the impeachment probe politically motivated.

Vindman's testimony was some of the most damaging to date for Trump, who faces the possibility of impeachment as he prepares to run for re-election. Biden is a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination to face him.

Federal law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election.

Vindman, appearing after receiving a subpoena from lawmakers despite the Trump administration policy of not cooperating with the impeachment inquiry, recounted listening in on the call in the White House Situation Room with colleagues from the National Security Council and Vice President Mike Pence's office.

After the call, Vindman said he reported his concerns to the National Security Council's lead counsel.

Vindman said earlier in July he had also reported concerns about previous pressure by the administration on Ukraine to carry out politically motivated investigations to the lawyer.

Vindman called into question the truthfulness of earlier testimony by another administration official, US&nbsp;Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland.

At a July 10 meeting in Washington, Vindman said Sondland, a former Trump donor, told visiting Ukrainian officials they needed to "deliver specific investigations in order to secure a meeting with the president." At that point, Vindman said, then-national security adviser John Bolton cut the meeting short.

According to Vindman's opening statement, Sondland told other US&nbsp;officials in a debriefing after the meeting that it was important that the Ukrainian investigations center on the 2016 election, the Bidens and Burisma.

"I stated to Ambassador&nbsp;Sondland that his statements were inappropriate, that the request to investigate Biden and his son had nothing to do with national security," Vindman said.

Sondland gave a different account of the July 10 events in his own testimony, saying that "if Ambassador Bolton, Dr. Hill or others harboured any misgivings about the propriety of what we were doing, they never shared those misgivings with me, then or later."

Before his testimony, some Trump allies, including Fox News host Laura Ingraham, sought to attack Vindman's integrity and questioned his loyalty to the United States.

Biden, however, described Vindman as a hero, calling attacks on the Army officer's character and loyalty "despicable."

"He's a hell of a patriot," Biden told MSNBC.

After Vindman's testimony, the Democratic Intelligence Committee chairman, Representative Adam Schiff, said he was "appalled" by the critical comments. "He deserves better than that scandalous attack," Schiff told reporters.

Seeking to blunt Republican criticism that the inquiry does not give Trump due process, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid out legislation that could be voted on this week setting up a two-stage process for the inquiry.

In the first, the House Intelligence Committee would continue its probe, including via public hearings, with the right to make public transcripts of depositions taken in private.

The intelligence panel would then send a public report on its findings to the House Judiciary Committee, which would conduct its own proceedings and report on "such resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other recommendations as it deems proper."

A lawyer for Trump would be allowed to participate in proceedings in the Judiciary Committee, which eventually could vote on formal charges against the Republican president. House passage of articles of impeachment would trigger a trial in the Republican-led Senate on whether to remove Trump from office.

At a news conference before the measure was unveiled, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said the entire process remained a "sham."

Referring to closed meetings and depositions held by the House Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs panels over the past few weeks, McCarthy said: "You can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Due process starts at the beginning."

The White House adopted a similar stance.

"The resolution put forward by Speaker Pelosi confirms that House Democrats’ impeachment has been an illegitimate sham from the start as it lacked any proper authorization by a House vote," White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.

Impeachment is much different from a judicial process, however, and is not governed by the same rules. The US&nbsp;Constitution gives the House broad authority to set ground rules for an impeachment inquiry and Democrats say they are following House rules on investigations.

A senior White House official testified on Tuesday he was so alarmed by hearing US President Donald Trump ask Ukraine's president to investigate a political rival, Democrat Joe Biden, that he reported the matter to a White House lawyer.

A senior White House official testified on Tuesday he was so alarmed by hearing US President Donald Trump ask Ukraine's president to investigate a political rival, Democrat Joe Biden, that he reported the matter to a White House lawyer. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman became the first current White House staff member to testify in the Democratic-led House of Representatives inquiry into whether to impeach the Republican president. The Ukraine specialist gave a closed-door deposition for more than 10 hours as Democrats unveiled legislation calling for public hearings and a public report in the impeachment inquiry to blunt Republican criticism the probe has been conducted with too much secrecy. While the Democrats met Republican demands for a full House vote on impeachment inquiry procedures, holding public hearings and releasing transcripts taken in secret, senior Republicans rejected the legislation before it was even introduced. Appearing on Capitol Hill in his military dress uniform, Vindman, a Ukraine-born US citizen and decorated Iraq war combat veteran, became the first person to testify who listened in on the July 25 call at the heart of the Ukraine scandal. The inquiry has focused on Trump's request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the call that he investigate Biden, a former vice president, and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company. Trump also asked Zelenskiy to investigate a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election. Trump made his request after withholding $391 million in security aid approved by Congress to help Ukraine fight Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky agreed to Trump's requests. The aid was later provided. "I was concerned by the call," Vindman said in his prepared opening statement to the three House committees conducting the inquiry. "I did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a US citizen, and I was worried about the implications for the US government's support of Ukraine." "I realized that if Ukraine pursued an investigation into the Bidens and Burisma, it would likely be interpreted as a partisan play which would undoubtedly result in Ukraine losing the bipartisan support it has thus far maintained. This would all undermine US national security," Vindman added. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with Ukraine and has called the impeachment probe politically motivated. Vindman's testimony was some of the most damaging to date for Trump, who faces the possibility of impeachment as he prepares to run for re-election. Biden is a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination to face him. Federal law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election. Vindman, appearing after receiving a subpoena from lawmakers despite the Trump administration policy of not cooperating with the impeachment inquiry, recounted listening in on the call in the White House Situation Room with colleagues from the National Security Council and Vice President Mike Pence's office. After the call, Vindman said he reported his concerns to the National Security Council's lead counsel. Vindman said earlier in July he had also reported concerns about previous pressure by the administration on Ukraine to carry out politically motivated investigations to the lawyer. Vindman called into question the truthfulness of earlier testimony by another administration official, US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. At a July 10 meeting in Washington, Vindman said Sondland, a former Trump donor, told visiting Ukrainian officials they needed to "deliver specific investigations in order to secure a meeting with the president." At that point, Vindman said, then-national security adviser John Bolton cut the meeting short. According to Vindman's opening statement, Sondland told other US officials in a debriefing after the meeting that it was important that the Ukrainian investigations center on the 2016 election, the Bidens and Burisma. "I stated to Ambassador Sondland that his statements were inappropriate, that the request to investigate Biden and his son had nothing to do with national security," Vindman said. Sondland gave a different account of the July 10 events in his own testimony, saying that "if Ambassador Bolton, Dr. Hill or others harboured any misgivings about the propriety of what we were doing, they never shared those misgivings with me, then or later." Before his testimony, some Trump allies, including Fox News host Laura Ingraham, sought to attack Vindman's integrity and questioned his loyalty to the United States. Biden, however, described Vindman as a hero, calling attacks on the Army officer's character and loyalty "despicable." "He's a hell of a patriot," Biden told MSNBC. After Vindman's testimony, the Democratic Intelligence Committee chairman, Representative Adam Schiff, said he was "appalled" by the critical comments. "He deserves better than that scandalous attack," Schiff told reporters. Seeking to blunt Republican criticism that the inquiry does not give Trump due process, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid out legislation that could be voted on this week setting up a two-stage process for the inquiry. In the first, the House Intelligence Committee would continue its probe, including via public hearings, with the right to make public transcripts of depositions taken in private. The intelligence panel would then send a public report on its findings to the House Judiciary Committee, which would conduct its own proceedings and report on "such resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other recommendations as it deems proper." A lawyer for Trump would be allowed to participate in proceedings in the Judiciary Committee, which eventually could vote on formal charges against the Republican president. House passage of articles of impeachment would trigger a trial in the Republican-led Senate on whether to remove Trump from office. At a news conference before the measure was unveiled, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said the entire process remained a "sham." Referring to closed meetings and depositions held by the House Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs panels over the past few weeks, McCarthy said: "You can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Due process starts at the beginning." The White House adopted a similar stance. "The resolution put forward by Speaker Pelosi confirms that House Democrats’ impeachment has been an illegitimate sham from the start as it lacked any proper authorization by a House vote," White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said. Impeachment is much different from a judicial process, however, and is not governed by the same rules. The US Constitution gives the House broad authority to set ground rules for an impeachment inquiry and Democrats say they are following House rules on investigations.

White House official Vindman raises US national security concern over Trump's call to Zelensky

The Ukrainian army and Moscow-backed separatists said Tuesday they had begun to withdraw their troops from a key area in the war-torn east ahead of a high-stakes summit with Russia.

The long-awaited pullback is a precondition for the first face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, to be mediated by the leaders of France and Germany.

"The process of troop withdrawal began by both sides... in the area of Zolote-4" in the Lugansk region, Ukraine's army said on Facebook.

Vladislav Deinego, a representative of the separatist self-proclaimed Lugansk republic, also said the withdrawal in the area had begun.

Monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe confirmed the move.

"Today the sides have just resumed the withdrawal of troops and arms in Zolote," Martin Sajdik, an OSCE special representative, told journalists.

The rival forces also need to withdraw troops from the village of Petrivske in the Donetsk region for the high-profile summit to go ahead.

Since coming to power in May, comedian-turned-president Zelensky has sought to revive a peace process to end a five-year-old separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine that has claimed some 13,000 lives.

But those efforts have stalled as the Kiev forces and the Kremlin-backed separatists have repeatedly failed to pull back troops from the frontline because of exchanges of gunfire.

Zelensky's peace plan including the troop pullback has been strongly criticised by many in Kiev, especially war veterans and nationalists.

Over the past few weeks, thousands of Ukrainians including Zelensky's predecessor Petro Poroshenko protested in the capital Kiev and other cities, slamming a pullback of troops as an act of "surrender."

Nationalists are set to hold a new protest rally outside Zelensky's offices on Tuesday.

Various nationalist organisations even deployed their own troops to Zolote in an effort to prevent a retreat of Ukrainian forces.

Last week the 41-year-old Ukrainian president was forced to personally travel to Zolote in an effort to convince his nationalist critics not to stand in the way of the peace process.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday said it was important for Zelensky to "make" nationalists carry out his orders.

Political enemies were quick to criticise Zelensky on Tuesday.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a lawmaker from Poroshenko's party, called the troop withdrawal a "capitulation on the Kremlin's conditions".

In the run-up to the planned summit, Ukrainian, Russian and separatist negotiators also agreed on a roadmap that envisages a special status for the separatist territories if they conduct free and fair elections under the Ukrainian constitution.

Critics say the proposal favours Russia but Zelensky has pledged not to betray Ukraine's interests.

Ties between Ukraine and Russia were shredded after a bloody uprising ousted a Kremlin-backed regime in 2014.&nbsp;

Moscow went on to annex Crimea and support insurgents in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian army and Moscow-backed separatists said Tuesday they had begun to withdraw their troops from a key area in the war-torn east ahead of a high-stakes summit with Russia.

The Ukrainian army and Moscow-backed separatists said Tuesday they had begun to withdraw their troops from a key area in the war-torn east ahead of a high-stakes summit with Russia. The long-awaited pullback is a precondition for the first face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, to be mediated by the leaders of France and Germany. "The process of troop withdrawal began by both sides... in the area of Zolote-4" in the Lugansk region, Ukraine's army said on Facebook. Vladislav Deinego, a representative of the separatist self-proclaimed Lugansk republic, also said the withdrawal in the area had begun. Monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe confirmed the move. "Today the sides have just resumed the withdrawal of troops and arms in Zolote," Martin Sajdik, an OSCE special representative, told journalists. The rival forces also need to withdraw troops from the village of Petrivske in the Donetsk region for the high-profile summit to go ahead. Since coming to power in May, comedian-turned-president Zelensky has sought to revive a peace process to end a five-year-old separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine that has claimed some 13,000 lives. But those efforts have stalled as the Kiev forces and the Kremlin-backed separatists have repeatedly failed to pull back troops from the frontline because of exchanges of gunfire. Zelensky's peace plan including the troop pullback has been strongly criticised by many in Kiev, especially war veterans and nationalists. Over the past few weeks, thousands of Ukrainians including Zelensky's predecessor Petro Poroshenko protested in the capital Kiev and other cities, slamming a pullback of troops as an act of "surrender." Nationalists are set to hold a new protest rally outside Zelensky's offices on Tuesday. Various nationalist organisations even deployed their own troops to Zolote in an effort to prevent a retreat of Ukrainian forces. Last week the 41-year-old Ukrainian president was forced to personally travel to Zolote in an effort to convince his nationalist critics not to stand in the way of the peace process. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday said it was important for Zelensky to "make" nationalists carry out his orders. Political enemies were quick to criticise Zelensky on Tuesday. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a lawmaker from Poroshenko's party, called the troop withdrawal a "capitulation on the Kremlin's conditions". In the run-up to the planned summit, Ukrainian, Russian and separatist negotiators also agreed on a roadmap that envisages a special status for the separatist territories if they conduct free and fair elections under the Ukrainian constitution. Critics say the proposal favours Russia but Zelensky has pledged not to betray Ukraine's interests. Ties between Ukraine and Russia were shredded after a bloody uprising ousted a Kremlin-backed regime in 2014. Moscow went on to annex Crimea and support insurgents in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine, separatists begin troop pullback

The top US&nbsp;diplomat for Europe did not know US&nbsp;security aid may have been withheld to pressure Ukraine's new president to <a href="United States lawmakers hear from 'corroborating' witness in Trump impeachment probe">conduct investigations</a> politically helpful to US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, testified on Saturday before three Democratic-led House of Representatives panels conducting an inquiry into whether to impeach Trump.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Reeker was prepared to tell the committees in the closed-door session he had largely left Ukraine policy to Kurt Volker, then the US&nbsp;special representative for Ukraine negotiations, and to others.

Reeker took up his post on March 18, overseeing diplomacy in 50 nations including Russia and Ukraine, as then-US&nbsp;Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch faced public criticism including the allegation, which she and the department denied, that she gave a Ukrainian official a list of people not to prosecute.

The source said Reeker sought a stronger State Department defence of Yovanovitch,&nbsp;who was brought back early from her post in May, under US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's name, but this appeared to have been stymied "from the top," though it was not clear if Pompeo himself had objected.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/judge-validates-impeachment-enquiry-against-donald-trump-orders-mueller-document-release-258208">impeachment enquiry</a> focuses on Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate a domestic political rival, Joe Biden, the former vice president who is a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination to face Trump in 2020.

The Republican president this year withheld $391 million in security aid to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress.

During a July 25 call at the heart of the inquiry, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as "a favour" to look into a claim - debunked as a conspiracy theory - that a Democratic National Committee computer server was in Ukraine.

The unsubstantiated theory could buttress Trump's scepticism of US&nbsp;intelligence agencies' conclusion Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help him against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump also asked Zelenskiy to investigate Biden, and Biden's son Hunter Biden, who had served as a director for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

In the call, Zelenskiy agreed to conduct the investigations. The US&nbsp;aid was released in mid-September.

Trump and other US&nbsp;officials have denied for weeks that they had demanded a "quid pro quo" -&nbsp;a Latin phrase meaning favour for favour - for delivering the US&nbsp;aid.

But Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney on October&nbsp;17 said Trump's withholding the aid was linked to his request that the Ukrainians look into the claims about the Democrats' server.

The source said Reeker was unaware in the June-August period of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-democrats-to-limit-witnesses-in-public-impeachment-hearings-report-258221">possibility Trump may have withheld the aid</a> or a meeting to pressure Zelenskiy to carry out the investigations.

Reeker knew the aid was being delayed, the source said, but not why and largely left policy toward Ukraine to Volker, to Charge d'Affaires at the US&nbsp;embassy in Kiev Ambassador William Taylor, Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state.

All four have already testified in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-to-unveil-measure-knocking-trump-impeachment-effort-258014">impeachment enquiry</a>.

In his testimony, Taylor said by mid-July "it was becoming clear to me that the (White House) meeting President Zelenskiy wanted was conditioned on the investigations of Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;elections."

He testified that he was alarmed when he later heard security aid, not just a meeting, was conditioned on the investigations.

However, the source said that Reeker, a veteran career US&nbsp;diplomat, was largely out of the loop on policy toward Ukraine.

"He knew that Volker and Sondland and Kent were on top of this and were dealing with it on the day to day and he just wasn't," said the source. "His take on this was ... he should let those people do their job."

However, the source said Reeker tried to get the agency to issue a stauncher defence of Yovanovitch. In March, the agency said allegations she provided a list of people not to prosecute "are not true and are intended to tarnish (her) reputation."

Yovanovitch was recalled early despite being told she had done nothing wrong, partly because of attacks on her, including by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has told Reuters he provided information to both Trump and the State Department.

The source said Reeker tried to get the agency to issue a stronger defence in Pompeo's name but the final statement was "weaker than some folks in the department, including Phil, wanted."

The top US diplomat for Europe did not know US security aid may have been withheld to pressure Ukraine's new president to conduct investigations politically helpful to US President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The top US diplomat for Europe did not know US security aid may have been withheld to pressure Ukraine's new president to conduct investigations politically helpful to US President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, testified on Saturday before three Democratic-led House of Representatives panels conducting an inquiry into whether to impeach Trump. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Reeker was prepared to tell the committees in the closed-door session he had largely left Ukraine policy to Kurt Volker, then the US special representative for Ukraine negotiations, and to others. Reeker took up his post on March 18, overseeing diplomacy in 50 nations including Russia and Ukraine, as then-US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch faced public criticism including the allegation, which she and the department denied, that she gave a Ukrainian official a list of people not to prosecute. The source said Reeker sought a stronger State Department defence of Yovanovitch, who was brought back early from her post in May, under US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's name, but this appeared to have been stymied "from the top," though it was not clear if Pompeo himself had objected. The impeachment enquiry focuses on Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate a domestic political rival, Joe Biden, the former vice president who is a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination to face Trump in 2020. The Republican president this year withheld $391 million in security aid to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress. During a July 25 call at the heart of the inquiry, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as "a favour" to look into a claim - debunked as a conspiracy theory - that a Democratic National Committee computer server was in Ukraine. The unsubstantiated theory could buttress Trump's scepticism of US intelligence agencies' conclusion Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help him against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump also asked Zelenskiy to investigate Biden, and Biden's son Hunter Biden, who had served as a director for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. In the call, Zelenskiy agreed to conduct the investigations. The US aid was released in mid-September. Trump and other US officials have denied for weeks that they had demanded a "quid pro quo" - a Latin phrase meaning favour for favour - for delivering the US aid. But Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney on October 17 said Trump's withholding the aid was linked to his request that the Ukrainians look into the claims about the Democrats' server. The source said Reeker was unaware in the June-August period of the possibility Trump may have withheld the aid or a meeting to pressure Zelenskiy to carry out the investigations. Reeker knew the aid was being delayed, the source said, but not why and largely left policy toward Ukraine to Volker, to Charge d'Affaires at the US embassy in Kiev Ambassador William Taylor, Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state. All four have already testified in the impeachment enquiry. In his testimony, Taylor said by mid-July "it was becoming clear to me that the (White House) meeting President Zelenskiy wanted was conditioned on the investigations of Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 US elections." He testified that he was alarmed when he later heard security aid, not just a meeting, was conditioned on the investigations. However, the source said that Reeker, a veteran career US diplomat, was largely out of the loop on policy toward Ukraine. "He knew that Volker and Sondland and Kent were on top of this and were dealing with it on the day to day and he just wasn't," said the source. "His take on this was ... he should let those people do their job." However, the source said Reeker tried to get the agency to issue a stauncher defence of Yovanovitch. In March, the agency said allegations she provided a list of people not to prosecute "are not true and are intended to tarnish (her) reputation." Yovanovitch was recalled early despite being told she had done nothing wrong, partly because of attacks on her, including by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has told Reuters he provided information to both Trump and the State Department. The source said Reeker tried to get the agency to issue a stronger defence in Pompeo's name but the final statement was "weaker than some folks in the department, including Phil, wanted."

United States diplomat unaware of possible quid pro quo on Ukraine

ukraine

Ukraine, News on Ukraine, stories on Ukraine, articles on Ukraine, Ukraine stories at Wion, Ukraine news, Ukraine latest news