A group of American veterans and diplomats who served in Kyiv are teaming up with a Ukrainian winery owner to bring a taste of the Black Sea coast to a U.S. audience.

President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, but as he prepares to take office, peace seems as elusive as ever.

Within the State Department, in conversations with nearly a dozen staff, the word that repeatedly came to people's lips as they described their colleagues wasn't "swamp." Next week, an old army friend of Pompeo's, State Department Counselor Ulrich Brechbuhl, is slated to testify -- though he has ignored a previous request to appear voluntarily. 'Fixated'In April -- one year into his tenure as secretary of state -- Pompeo unveiled a "professional ethos" for the State Department. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they still deal with the State Department. "It's a source of power for him," Anderson said, "but this has come at the expense of his reputation inside the State Department."

(CNN) - President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on Sunday said he spoke last week with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about Giuliani's meeting with a Ukrainian official, adding that Pompeo didn't direct him to have those meeting. Pompeo was aware that his department was assisting Giuliani in speaking with an aide to the Ukrainian president, explains a source familiar with the conversations. When asked last week about Giuliani's efforts, Pompeo said the State Department's actions were "appropriate." "From what I've seen so far, each of the actions that were undertaken by State Department officials was entirely appropriate," he said. CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment about Pompeo's speaking to Giuliani.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The chairmen of three House committees subpoenaed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Friday over his failure to produce documents related to Ukraine. "Pursuant to the House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry, we are hereby transmitting a subpoena that compels you to produce the documents set forth in the accompanying schedule by October 4, 2019," the chairmen of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees wrote in a letter to Pompeo. The chairman of the three committees wrote to Pompeo on September 9 with a request for six categories of documents "related to reported efforts by President Trump and his associates to improperly pressure the Ukrainian government to assist the President's bid for reelection." The State Department had until Thursday to reply. Pompeo has not publicly addressed the State Department's role in Rudy Giuliani's dealings with Ukraine and the State Department has not responded to numerous requests for comment about the situation.