(CNN) Bill Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine and key witness in public House impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump, will depart from his temporary post on January 2, two sources familiar with his plans tell CNN. 'A snake pit'The State Department did not reply to a request for comment on Taylor's tenure, or explain who would follow him as top US diplomat in Ukraine. Taylor testified about his concerns over taking the post in Kiev in the wake of Yovanovitch's unexpected removal in May after a smear campaign led by the President's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Kurt Volker, the former special representative to Ukraine, left his post earlier this year when the controversy began. "And the fact that they provided testimony [as part of the impeachment inquiry] has put a blanket over their willingness to be outspoken."

Source: CNN December 17, 2019 23:37 UTC