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Trump's Post-Impeachment Staff Purge Has Folks In Ukraine Nervous
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-post-impeachment-staff-purge-has-folks-in-ukraine-nervous
It is not just domestic political actors who are keeping close tabs on how the president is restocking his administration with loyalists.
Erin Banco
National Security Reporter
Published Feb. 25, 2020 4:50AM ET
EXCLUSIVE
A former top Ukrainian official said he is concerned that President Donald Trump’s efforts to force out administration officials deemed to be disloyal from their posts would in the short term leave a hollowed out U.S. office in Kyiv and space for Russia to ratchet up its aggressive political influence operations.
Oleksandr Danylyuk, the former chairman of Ukraine’s national security and defense council, said that as the White House turns its attention to its post-impeachment victory lap, there are growing fears that Russia will step up attempts to distort the relationship between Washington and Kyiv. Danylyuk, who served as a former official in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration, said that Rudy Giuliani’s partnership with Kyiv politicos closely linked to Russia was only making matters worse by worrying officials that Trump’s inner circle is forming long-lasting partnerships with rogue, corrupt individuals.
“Russia is getting more ambitious. They are already taking an aggressive position. Putin knows what he wants and he does not need to seek approval for his actions inside Russia let alone outside of Russia,” Danylyuk said. “There are not enough people in the administration—in the U.S. administration—to focus on Ukraine and Russia issues. A lot of people left. It will not be easy to find several counterparts. I would expect sometime after the presidential elections the U.S. will have to compensate for that. They will have to find a very strong team to deal with this.”
Danylyuk’s comments provide one of the earliest indications to date as to how Trump’s attempt to install political allies in key national security posts is stirring fears not only among domestic officials but in foreign capitals around the world. Since the impeachment investigation began last fall, at least five high-level officials focusing on Ukraine policy have left their posts, including former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, acting ambassador Bill Taylor, Tim Morrison, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Dr. Fiona Hill —all of whom testified in the House hearings this fall.
</snip>
It is not just domestic political actors who are keeping close tabs on how the president is restocking his administration with loyalists.
Erin Banco
National Security Reporter
Published Feb. 25, 2020 4:50AM ET
EXCLUSIVE
A former top Ukrainian official said he is concerned that President Donald Trump’s efforts to force out administration officials deemed to be disloyal from their posts would in the short term leave a hollowed out U.S. office in Kyiv and space for Russia to ratchet up its aggressive political influence operations.
Oleksandr Danylyuk, the former chairman of Ukraine’s national security and defense council, said that as the White House turns its attention to its post-impeachment victory lap, there are growing fears that Russia will step up attempts to distort the relationship between Washington and Kyiv. Danylyuk, who served as a former official in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration, said that Rudy Giuliani’s partnership with Kyiv politicos closely linked to Russia was only making matters worse by worrying officials that Trump’s inner circle is forming long-lasting partnerships with rogue, corrupt individuals.
“Russia is getting more ambitious. They are already taking an aggressive position. Putin knows what he wants and he does not need to seek approval for his actions inside Russia let alone outside of Russia,” Danylyuk said. “There are not enough people in the administration—in the U.S. administration—to focus on Ukraine and Russia issues. A lot of people left. It will not be easy to find several counterparts. I would expect sometime after the presidential elections the U.S. will have to compensate for that. They will have to find a very strong team to deal with this.”
Danylyuk’s comments provide one of the earliest indications to date as to how Trump’s attempt to install political allies in key national security posts is stirring fears not only among domestic officials but in foreign capitals around the world. Since the impeachment investigation began last fall, at least five high-level officials focusing on Ukraine policy have left their posts, including former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, acting ambassador Bill Taylor, Tim Morrison, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Dr. Fiona Hill —all of whom testified in the House hearings this fall.
</snip>
