Section: The Guardian (The United Kingdom)
Ukraine crisis put on ice by Trump staff busy working out how to buy Greenland
State and defence departments wanted military aid restored, but the Greenland issue ‘took up a lot of energy’, new testimony revealsAfter the White House cut off military aid to Ukraine, Donald Trump’s top officials scrambled to get it restored but were unable to organise a meeting with the president, in part because his staff were...
Top US diplomat observed clear Trump-Ukraine quid pro quo, testimony reveals
US officials said Trump would not ‘sign a check’ for military aid without investigation into Joe Biden, Bill Taylor tells inquiryTrump impeachment inquiry – live updatesFor a second time in two days, newly released testimony in the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump has produced a firsthand account of US officials negotiating a quid...
Trump impeachment inquiry: public hearings to begin next week, Schiff announces – live
House intelligence chair announces Bill Taylor and George Kent to testify on Wednesday and Marie Yovanovitch to appear next Friday – follow liveSign up for the US briefing and get a new perspective 4.57pm GMTThe trial of Roger Stone, a longtime advisor to Donald Trump, began this morning in Washington DC – a trial resulting from charges in Robert...
No 3 official at state department to defend failure to protect Ukraine envoy
David Hale expected to testify placating Trump was realpolitikState department was trying to lift freeze on military aidDavid Hale, the third most senior official at the state department, has begun his testimony at congressional impeachment hearings, where he will reportedly seek to explain the agency’s failure to defend the ambassador to...
Kentucky governors’ race neck-and-neck as Democrats eye victory – live
Democrats flip state legislature in Virginia as hopefuls battle Republican incumbents in governors’ racesSign up for the US briefing and get a new perspective 3.05pm GMTLive political reporting continues on Wednesday’s blog: Related: Impeachment inquiry: diplomat to say politics were behind refusal to defend Yovanovitch – live 3.51am...
Gordon Sondland was a perfect fall guy, until he decided to tell the truth | Richard Wolffe
The ambassador’s painfully humiliating new testimony reveals the real story behind the suspension of aid to UkraineIn every good disaster movie, we get to meet the easily dispensable character: someone who mixes just enough stupidity with just enough mediocrity to be cannon fodder for the impending calamity.In the epic shipwreck of Donald...
Trump’s EU envoy admits Ukraine quid pro quo in updated testimony
Gordon Sondland told Ukraine it was unlikely to get $400m in aid unless it announced investigations into Trump rivalsImpeachment news – liveAn ally of Donald Trump has updated his impeachment inquiry testimony to confirm that the US president offered Ukraine a quid pro quo to investigate a political rival.The transcript of four pages of sworn...
Impeachment inquiry transcripts reveal shock and concern over Trump plot
Yovanovitch and McKinley warned plot undermined national securityImpeachment inquiry live – rolling reportTwo senior American diplomats warned congressional investigators a White House plot to manufacture political dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine had undermined US national security interests and shredded faith among foreign service personnel,...
Beto O’Rourke dropping out of 2020 presidential race – as it happened
The former Texas congressman has had low polling numbers and his campaign has been under financial strainSign up for the US briefing and get a new perspective 12.18am GMTHere’s a recap of today: 11.52pm GMTBut the energy secretary may not show up to his deposition. According to CNN: Department of Energy spokesperson Shaylyn Hynes said Perry...
NSC official corroborates key testimony in Trump impeachment inquiry
Tim Morrison seemed to exculpate Trump by suggesting Gordon Sondland was conducting a rogue foreign policy in UkraineHouse endorses impeachment inquiry – live updatesIn a deposition before the congressional impeachment committees Thursday, a national security council (NSC) official corroborated prior testimony describing efforts by the Trump...
