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Why did Ukraine feature in Senate censure talk?
Summary
A retrospective on the Senate debate of early February 2020, when a Democratic senator floated censure over pressure on Kyiv.
What did the Ukraine affair look like on 6 February 2020, as the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump continued? Days earlier, on 3 February 2020, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin asked his colleagues to consider censuring Trump as an alternative to impeachment. The proposal concerned Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate domestic political rivals.
Manchin was considered friendly with the White House, which gave the suggestion added weight as a possible middle path. Censure was presented as a lesser rebuke than impeachment, while still addressing the conduct over Ukraine.
A neighbourhood under strain
The same day, 3 February 2020, a separate crisis unfolded in north-western Syria. Syrian Army shelling killed Turkish military personnel in Idlib Governorate, and Turkish forces retaliated. Turkish President Erdoğan said the shelling killed five Turkish soldiers and three civilian personnel, with nine others injured. A pro-opposition war monitor said the retaliation killed 13 Syrian soldiers, which Syria denied.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said Turkey had moved troops inside the de-escalation zone without notifying the Russian side. Erdoğan said the Russians needed to stand aside. Together, the two episodes showed Kyiv's name in Washington's political fight while Moscow and Ankara traded sharp words over Idlib.
