Trump’s new Ukraine envoy to visit country’s embattled east

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration’s new special representative for Ukraine negotiations is making his first trip to embattled eastern Ukraine.

The State Department says Kurt Volker departs Friday for eastern Ukraine, where he’ll meet with people “affected by Russian aggression.” Over several days, Volker will also meet with officials in Kyiv, the capital.

Volker will also travel to Paris to meet with German and French officials about a cease-fire deal that has never been fully implemented. He’ll also be in Brussels to meet with NATO and EU officials, and in London to meet with British officials. In Vienna, he’ll meet with the international group responsible for monitoring the situation in eastern Ukraine.

The U.S. has made little progress in persuading Russia to give back Crimea and stop supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine.