Trump has denied wrongdoing and defended his request to Zelenskiy. Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state responsible for US policy toward six former Soviet republics including Ukraine, is scheduled to appear behind closed doors before the three House committees conducting the impeachment inquiry. The State Department previously ordered officials not to do so, triggering congressional subpoenas to the witnesses. Trump's personal lawyer, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, also faces a Tuesday deadline to produce documents related to the Ukraine matter subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee. 'Disinformation campaign'On Friday, Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, defied the State Department order and gave scathing testimony in which she accused the Trump administration of recalling her from Kiev based on false claims and of hollowing out the State Department.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 15, 2019 09:56 UTC