Danylo Lubkivsky on Ukraine and the Impeachment Inquiry

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Just sum up for me how it`s been viewed in Kiev and beyond where you are now.

DANYLO LUBKIVSKY, FORMER UKRAINIAN DEPUTY MINISTER: I believe that the general situation and the recent developments that you discussed raise a certain anxiety and disappointment in Ukraine. Let me tell you my reflection. For many years, Ukraine has joined a very strong bilateral, bipartisan support which meant a lot for Ukraine. I remember Vice President Biden, who was a strong champion of the international efforts to support of Ukraine, but he was strong because his strong position was underpinned by the strong position of, like Senator McCain, Senator Portman, and other prominent Republican, that President Trump`s decision to provide Ukraine with a defensive lethal weapon, was strongly supported by vast majority among the Democrats. So for Ukraine, it meant that the United States stand for Ukraine, fights with Ukraine, and supports our case. So this is not only bout Ukraine and Ukraine`s interest, but this is about our fight for freedom but also our struggle for the international law and international justice.

AMANPOUR: OK. So let me just ask you to react to Mr. Pavlo Klimkin, who was Ukraine`s foreign minister until august. He said, this is a damaging mess for Ukraine. It has always been a key point of Ukrainian foreign policy to show that we have U.S. support and we cannot afford to lose that. You sort of talked about that, but do you think that you still have the kind of U.S. support that you need?

LUBKIVSKY: Certainly, that — and that would be natural for the Ukrainians to put — raise questions on whether the support will be continued. You know, Ukraine may be considered a hostage of that dispute, but nevertheless, Ukraine is not only a play thing, Ukraine is a 40 million nation which fights for its independence. The overwhelming majority of the Ukrainians, according to the recent polls, are ready to fight for this country and the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians stand strong before Ukraine`s membership in the European Union and NATO. For that — for Ukraine, it`s very important that the United States remains the flagmanship of the rest — the flagmanship of those values that we are committed to.