Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Commemorates Auschwitz Anniversary With Survivors
By RFE/RL
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it was an honor for him to meet with Holocaust survivors, telling them on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp's liberation that they are a living testament to the strength of humanity.
“Probably, humanity has not yet come up with the words that could describe the indestructability and strength of your spirit,” he said at a dinner on January 26 with Holocaust survivors and their families in Krakow, Poland, organized by the World Jewish Congress.
During his short speech, Zelenskiy denounced anti-Semitism and racism while speaking of the importance of protecting humanitarian values.
“Most of these memories have a common call: ‘Don’t be silent!’ The younger generation must know these stories, know about the horrors of the Holocaust in order to never allow anything like this on the planet again,” he said, receiving a standing ovation for his words.
Speaking through an interpreter, the Ukrainian president added: “You are strong and incredibly courageous. The Holocaust is named the dark period in the history of humanity. And you are the rays of sunshine that penetrated the darkness.”
On January 27, Zelenskiy is set to join more than 200 survivors and delegations from nearly 60 countries at the site of the former concentration camp where 1.1 million people were murdered, most of whom were Jews.
Himself of Jewish heritage, Zelenskiy has said he had family members who perished in the Holocaust.
“Hatred needs to be done away with. It needs to be uprooted. We need to get rid of hatred because this is the single greatest power that is ruining our civilization,” Zelenskiy said. "We must stop evil before it actually threatens humanity.”
He also paid tribute to the Ukrainians who risked their own lives to save Jews, calling them a source of pride.
About 10 percent of the 27,362 Righteous Among The Nations were Ukrainian gentiles, according to the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
“I am proud that more than 2,500 Ukrainians have been honored with this high title,” the Ukrainian president said.
Zelenskiy’s speech came amid concerns over a global resurgence in anti-Semitism.
A November 2019 survey by the U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League found that about one in four Europeans harbor "pernicious and pervasive" attitudes towards Jews, compared with 19 percent of North Americans.
In Germany, 42 percent agreed that "Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the Holocaust,” the survey findings said.
Zelenskiy also is scheduled to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda during the visit.
With reporting by AP and Reuters
Report: Bolton Book Says Trump Tied Ukraine Aid To Probes He Sought
By RFE/RL
Former national-security adviser John Bolton has made claims in an unpublished book that U.S. President Donald Trump wanted to freeze aid to Ukraine unless it investigated his political rivals, The New York Times reports.
The January 26 report said Bolton writes in the book that Trump had told him he wanted to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in security aid to Ukraine until it helped him with investigations, including into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.
Trump's legal team has repeatedly insisted that the president never tied Ukraine aid to investigations.
After the report went online, Democrats renewed their demand for Bolton to be called to testify in Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate. The president faces one charge of abuse of power and another on obstruction of Congress over his alleged efforts to prod Ukraine to investigate his political rivals while withholding $391 million in military assistance to Kyiv.
The trial will resume in the Senate later on January 27.
Trump denied the claim in a series of tweets early on January 27, saying: “I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens."
“In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book,” he added.
The document has been sent to the White House for prepublication review, a standard practice for some current and former administration officials who write books.
Bolton left the White House a day before Trump ultimately released the aid to Kyiv on September 11 and has told lawmakers he is willing to testify, despite the president’s order barring aides from cooperating in the proceedings.
A July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is at the center of the trial. A rough transcript of the conversation revealed that the U.S. president had urged his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate Biden, who is seen as a potential opponent in this year's presidential election in November. His son Hunter Biden was a paid board member of a Ukrainian energy firm when he served as vice president.
Critics say the crucial military aid to Kyiv was withheld as leverage.
“John Bolton has the evidence,” tweeted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat-New York). “It’s up to four Senate Republicans to ensure that John Bolton, [acting White House chief of staff] Mick Mulvaney, and the others with direct knowledge of Trump’s actions testify in the Senate trial.”
The Democrats need at least four Republicans to vote with them to seek witness testimony in the trial. However, the legislative chamber is controlled by Trump’s fellow Republicans.
RFE/RL has not confirmed the contents of the draft of Bolton’s book.
He left his post after disagreements with the president. Trump said he fired him. Bolton said he resigned.
Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have charged Trump with abuse of office and obstruction of Congress. A trial is under way in the Senate to decide whether to convict and remove the president from office. The chamber’s 100 senators are the jurors in the trial.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and has called the impeachment proceedings a “witch hunt.”
Day seven of the impeachment trial begins on January 27 with Trump’s defense team expected to continue presenting opening arguments. Other legislative work is possible as well.
With reporting by The New York Times, AP, C-SPAN, The Hill, and Reuters
That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Sunday, January 26, 2020. Check back here tomorrow for more of our continuing coverage.
BREAKING NEWS: The government now says that two of its soldiers have died in the east.
Read our updated story here.