stableImportance 5/5Confidence 4/51 documented update

Giuliani’s Ukraine backchannel keeps widening, and it’s starting to smell like a political operation

New reporting and later-disclosed records show that July 22 was another step in the messy Giuliani-to-Ukraine pipeline, with Kurt Volker helping connect Giuliani to Andriy Yermak as Trumpworld searched for the right way to steer Kyiv. That is not normal diplomacy. It was another sign that the president’s private lawyer was functioning like an off-books envoy in a matter tied directly to Trump’s political interests.

Why it matters: Ukraine backchannel

First recorded Jul 22, 2019·Meaningfully updated Jul 22, 2019

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Giuliani’s Ukraine backchannel keeps widening, and it’s starting to smell like a political operation

New reporting and later-disclosed records show that July 22 was another step in the messy Giuliani-to-Ukraine pipeline, with Kurt Volker helping connect Giuliani to Andriy Yermak as Trumpworld searched for the right way to steer Kyiv. That is not normal diplomacy. It was another sign that the president’s private lawyer was functioning like an off-books envoy in a matter tied directly to Trump’s political interests.

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Confidence 4/5

Giuliani’s Ukraine backchannel keeps widening, and it’s starting to smell like a political operation

New reporting and later-disclosed records show that July 22 was another step in the messy Giuliani-to-Ukraine pipeline, with Kurt Volker helping connect Giuliani to Andriy Yermak as Trumpworld searched for the right way to steer Kyiv. That is not normal diplomacy. It was another sign that the president’s private lawyer was functioning like an off-books envoy in a matter tied directly to Trump’s political interests.

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