When President Trump spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky on July 25, Trump held the keys to two things the new Ukranian president needed in order to demonstrate he had full U.S. backing to push back on Russian aggression: military assistance and an Oval Office meeting. Both would send a necessary signal that the U.S.-Ukraine alliance was strong.
NPR: Timeline – Trump, Ukraine and the House impeachment inquiry
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speak during a meeting in New York on Sept. 25, 2019, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
