Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor was instructed by a top aide to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to hand over responsibilities for his post just days before Mr. Pompeo plans to visit the Ukrainian capital, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Mr. Taylor was named as the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine after Ms. Yovanovitch was recalled from her post in Ukraine in May. Under the terms of the federal Vacancies Act, he could have retained his position in Kyiv until Jan. 8, and can serve longer in other capacities under his contract with the State Department.
A key aide to Mr. Pompeo who serves as State Department counselor, informed Mr. Taylor on Dec. 11 that Mr. Pompeo had instructed him to hand over his responsibilities in Kyiv on Jan. 1, according to the person familiar with the situation.
Mr. Taylor is planning to leave the country on Jan. 2, and had understood that Mr. Pompeo wanted to avoid being photographed with him while visiting Ukraine, the person familiar with the situation said.
Mr. Taylor, a West Point graduate who previously served as ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009, had been retired from the State Department when he was asked earlier this year to replace Ms. Yovanovitch.
Mr. Pompeo told him when he took the post that the U.S. would strongly support Ukraine as well as Mr. Taylor's efforts to advance the U.S. policy, Mr. Taylor told Congress.
Mr. Taylor told Congress that he became concerned after concluding that Mr. Trump had made nearly $400 million in security assistance contingent on a commitment by Mr. Zelensky to investigate Mr. Biden, a Democratic presidential candidate, and the allegations that Ukraine had interfered in the 2016 U.S. election.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-envoy-to-ukraine-was-asked-to-step-aside-ahead-of-pompeo-visit-11576715785?mod=hp_listb_pos2
Mr. Taylor was named as the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine after Ms. Yovanovitch was recalled from her post in Ukraine in May. Under the terms of the federal Vacancies Act, he could have retained his position in Kyiv until Jan. 8, and can serve longer in other capacities under his contract with the State Department.
A key aide to Mr. Pompeo who serves as State Department counselor, informed Mr. Taylor on Dec. 11 that Mr. Pompeo had instructed him to hand over his responsibilities in Kyiv on Jan. 1, according to the person familiar with the situation.
Mr. Taylor is planning to leave the country on Jan. 2, and had understood that Mr. Pompeo wanted to avoid being photographed with him while visiting Ukraine, the person familiar with the situation said.
Mr. Taylor, a West Point graduate who previously served as ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009, had been retired from the State Department when he was asked earlier this year to replace Ms. Yovanovitch.
Mr. Pompeo told him when he took the post that the U.S. would strongly support Ukraine as well as Mr. Taylor's efforts to advance the U.S. policy, Mr. Taylor told Congress.
Mr. Taylor told Congress that he became concerned after concluding that Mr. Trump had made nearly $400 million in security assistance contingent on a commitment by Mr. Zelensky to investigate Mr. Biden, a Democratic presidential candidate, and the allegations that Ukraine had interfered in the 2016 U.S. election.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-envoy-to-ukraine-was-asked-to-step-aside-ahead-of-pompeo-visit-11576715785?mod=hp_listb_pos2
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