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KURT VOLKER, A former US ambassador to NATO caught in the middle of a whistleblower complaint over President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, has resigned from his post as special envoy to the Eastern European nation.
The move came as House Democrats took their first concrete steps in the impeachment investigation of Trump, issuing subpoenas demanding documents from Mike Pompeo and scheduling legal depositions for other State Department officials.
A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Volker told Secretary of State Pompeo on Friday of his decision to leave the job.
The move followed disclosures Volker had connected Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani with Ukrainian officials to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his family over allegedly corrupt business dealings.
The State Department had no immediate comment on Volker’s resignation and has said only that he put Mr Giuliani in touch with an aide to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Volker’s departure comes hours after Democrats subpoenaed Pompeo for Ukraine-related documents.
The heads of three House committees gave Pompeo one week to produce the documents, saying a number of State Department officials have direct knowledge of Trump’s efforts to enlist the Ukraine government’s help in his domestic political campaign for reelection.
“The Committees are investigating the extent to which President Trump jeopardized national security by pressing Ukraine to interfere with our 2020 election and by withholding security assistance provided by Congress to help Ukraine counter Russian aggression,” they said.
“The subpoenaed documents shall be part of the impeachment inquiry and shared among the Committees. Your failure or refusal to comply with the subpoena shall constitute evidence of obstruction of the House’s impeachment inquiry,” they wrote.
The subpoena came one day after the release of an intelligence official’s bombshell whistleblower complaint that describes Trump pressuring Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in a 25 July phone call to supply dirt on Democratic political rival Joe Biden.
With reporting from © AFP 2019
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Interesting, will America listen ?
They won’t bloody stop listening!
Why didn’t they lead the way against gm foods grown here even though majority of Europeans are against it. It got through cause an abstention automatically means a yes, WHY?
There should be more media coverage of EU decisions like this, as a member we implement the changes to n these decisions can often be far bigger than our own at home.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/gm-corn-gets-controversial-eu-ahead-202442678.html#6gTHmUF
What study determined that the ‘majority’ of Europeans are against it? I’m genuinely curious.
It has been shown time and time again that Europeans are against it, as are Irish people. Keep it out I say.
How has it been shown? You have to substantiate such claims.
I have no real opinion on the matter, myself.
Nevermind EU White fang it’s being rejected by people world wide China just rejected a shipment of GM corn other country’s are against GM
Take an hour or two to read up on this subject & Monsanto you will be shocked at the rejection it’s receiving and rightly so the stuffs not good for ye
I have heard bad things about Mosanto alright, Foxy. I’ve been meaning to do more research into GM foods though, before I form an opinion.
I just don’t think the majority out there oppose it. I’d say the most are like me, and know little about it. Which is worrying.
I think you found the problem and solution
It’s up to the people to educate themselves and others about subjects like this nobody else is going to
True, the media doesn’t seem too interested in the subject, so I guess it’s up to each individual to source information.
Here some mate. Just a bit to get started. If you do start to look further you might notice a lot of surveys that suggest there is less concern about gms but the have the pattern of surveys that have loaded questions and with leading results, no flat out questions asked. keep an eye for that buddy.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/europeans-wary-of-gmo-foods-2137817.html
Thanks Joe, that’s exactly what I was looking for!
The EU is a million times worse than the US
At least in the US they all speak the same language
Wrong Sean, every day you manage to outdo yourself. Haha.
What kind of clown are you?
Sean. You really are a complete hatstand.
The Internet is a wild animal, one minute they think they’ve got it tamed, Napster, Limewire etc
Good cop bad cop same agenda.
Nail on the head
The US probably has Hollandes phone bugged already thinking he’s a terrorist. Most of us are in their eyes.
Not a specy one
Interesting contrast between this and other recent stories on the same subject.
Derek Keating & Sean Kelly should really take note.
have your say