Ukraine paid Trump lawyer Cohen to arrange White House talks - BBC

U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen departs federal court in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., April 26, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, received a secret payment of at least $400,000 (299,558.15 pounds) to arrange talks between Trump and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko last year, the British Broadcasting Corp reported on Wednesday.

The payment was arranged by intermediaries acting for Poroshenko who wanted to open a back channel to the Republican U.S. president, the BBC said, citing unnamed sources in Kiev.