Secretary of Defense on Ukraine Situation: ‘My Aim Is to Keep the Department Apolitical’

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, then-nominee, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing in Washington in a file photograph. Pete Marovich/Getty Images

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said he wants to keep the Department of Defense “apolitical” when asked about the situation with Ukraine.

President Donald Trump’s request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to look into possible corruption in the country and interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election has rankled critics and some lawmakers. House Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry into Trump in late September.