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\"We talked about all the things that matter,\" Pompeo said. \"We didn't talk about all the silliness that's gone on back there in Washington.\"

\"PHOTO:
Kevin Lamarque/AFP via Getty Images
PHOTO: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends a news conference in Kiev on Jan. 31, 2020.
>

Asked if he ever heard President Trump explicitly link aid to Ukraine to investigations into the Bidens, Pompeo said, \"I don’t talk about conversations with the president. I’m telling you what our policy was.”

The timing of Pompeo’s visit to the former Soviet state coincides with a crucial moment in the Senate impeachment trial of his boss -- the basis for which involves the Trump administration’s posture toward Kyiv in late summer of 2019.

Pompeo has repeatedly said he would honor any lawful requirement to testify as part of the impeachment trial, and in Davos last week, President Trump told reporters he \"would love to have Mike Pompeo\" testify -- even as the White House has signaled its intention to block senior administration officials from going under oath. As ABC News has reported, Senate Republicans appear poised to block a vote to call witnesses, making Pompeo’s testimony increasingly unlikely.

In his interview with ABC News, Pompeo insisted the impeachment trial played a negligible role in his meeting with the Ukrainian leader.

\"We didn't get involved in the noise in Washington, D.C. We were focused on the future and the path forward for Ukraine, and for the relationship between America and Ukraine,\" Pompeo said. \"We talked about all the things that [President Zelenskiy] needs to do to deliver on the commitments that he made during his campaign.\"

\"PHOTO:
ABC News
PHOTO: ABC News Correspondent Kyra Phillips talks to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Jan. 31, 2020, during his visit to Ukraine.
>

Pompeo said he and Kyiv’s leadership instead focused on strengthening ties and conveying a reassurance of unwavering American support, calling Ukraine \"the hinge of freedom that sits right on the edge between Russia and Europe.\"

But Pompeo’s warm public comments about U.S.-Ukraine relations mark a striking departure from comments attributed to him in private. Last week, after a contentious interview with a National Public Radio reporter, Pompeo allegedly asked rhetorically, \"Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?\"

After the confrontation, the State Department banned another NPR reporter from traveling with Pompeo on his visit to Kyiv. Earlier this week, President Trump lauded Pompeo’s handling of the situation.

Asked whether he regretted his handling of the situation with NPR, Pompeo doubled down on his criticism, claiming the broadcaster \"doesn't represent what I believe the American people need and deserve.\"

From Kyiv, Pompeo will continue on to Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

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