This archive report was first published on 15 October 2019.
Fiona Hill, a respected British-born scholar and intelligence officer, served as senior director for Russian and Eurasian affairs on the National Security Council staff from 2017 until her departure on July 19, 2019.
During her tenure, Hill found herself caught in the middle, a noted skeptic of Vladimir Putin working for a president who valued his friendship with the Russian leader.
On July 10, 2019, Hill witnessed a dramatic meeting in John Bolton's office, which included Gordon Sondland, Kurt D. Volker, Rick Perry, and two Ukrainian officials.
The meeting's purpose was to discuss technical assistance to Ukraine's national security council, but it quickly turned into a heated exchange when Sondland mentioned that there was an agreement with Mick Mulvaney to hold a meeting with Ukraine's president if the country opened up investigations sought by the White House.
John Bolton immediately ended the meeting, instructing Hill to report back to him on the discussion. When she did, Sondland specifically mentioned Burisma, a Ukrainian energy firm with ties to Hunter Biden, the former vice president's son.
