Pompeo cancels trip to Cyprus

The US State Department announced on New Year’s Day that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will not be travelling to Cyprus as originally scheduled due to tensions with Iraq following the attacks on the American Embassy.

“Secretary Pompeo must postpone his visit to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus due to the need for the Secretary to be in Washington, D.C., to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and to ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East. Secretary Pompeo’s trip will be rescheduled in the near future and he looks forward to the visit at that time," read the statement.

Pompeo's visit to Kyiv on Friday was awaited with great interest given the impeachment proceedings against US President Donald Trump over alleged pressures he exerted on President Volodymyr Zielensky to investigate his political opponent former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

At the same time, the US Secretary of State's visit to Cyprus was of particular importance to the wider region due to the tense atmosphere following the recent Turkish actions.