Thread by @maddow

WaPo: “Russia sees leverage as Ukraine squirms amid impeachment drama”
washingtonpost.com/world/europe/r…

“Russian officials are already publicly telling Ukrainians (and the rest of the world) that the United States has proved itself to be an unreliable friend”

“Since this is yet another Ukrainian scandal with a link to the natural gas industry, analysts in Kiev expect Russia to argue to Western European nations that it now must move forward with the stalled Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The project would send Russian natural gas to Europe.”

“I really hope you and Putin get together and can solve your problem,” Trump told him. “A tremendous achievement and I know you’re trying to do that.”
“That comment was ‘a disaster’ for Ukraine. It signaled to Putin that the US could not be counted on to be in Ukraine’s corner.”