Why Is Giuliani In Ukraine Right Now? Trump Officials Are Worried

This week, Rudy Giuliani flew to Ukraine in a move that some senior White House and national security officials reportedly found troubling. The personal lawyer for President Donald Trump said he is in Kiev to interview several Ukrainians linked to the impeachment proceedings. Among those Giuliani has made contact with is former prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko.

Lutsenko, an important figure in the ongoing impeachment efforts surrounding Trump, has said that he believed Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President and 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden, had been involved in corruption during his time in Ukraine.

For many in the Trump camp, Giuliani has become a liability to Trump’s defense against impeachment, no doubt the reason the former New York City mayor has drastically lowered his profile in the media in recent times. His decision to go to Ukraine to meet Lutsenko and other former prosecutors has raised concerns that Giuliani could once again be putting Trump in legal trouble.

One senior White House official told the Daily Beast: “I do not see why [a] lawyer would see this as serving the best interests of their client, especially now.”

In addition to meeting Lutsenko, Giuliani has been seen talking with Ukrainian lawmaker Adriy Derkach, who was once a member of ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych’s political party. Derkach has been vocal in his assertions that Hunter Biden was the recipient of illegal funds while part of Ukrainian firm Burisma.

Officially, Giuliani’s interviews are being conducted as part of a documentary series for the conservative broadcast network One America News. The series aims to portray Democrats’ pursuit of Trump as baseless and politically motivated.

Ukrainian leadership also appear concerned about Giuliani’s visit. President Volodymyr Zelensky has been reportedly advised to decline meeting with Trump’s lawyer during the latter's stay in Kiev. Giuliani’s apparent role in the President’s controversial dealings with Ukrainians regarding Hunter Biden have generated accusations of scandal in Kiev, creating headaches for the first-term Ukrainian president.

Though Giuliani has not personally been forthcoming about the purpose of his meetings in Kiev, he said he will soon be able to present evidence to the public that government corruption in Ukraine can be linked directly to the Obama administration. This has stoked fears in the Trump camp that Giuliani is renewing his campaign of uncovering alleged Biden-linked corruption in Ukraine – at a time when similar past activities initially motivated Democrats’ pursuit of impeachment against President Trump.