Trump tied Ukraine aid to political probes: US diplomat

Washington, October 23

The top American diplomat in Ukraine testified on Tuesday that President Donald Trump made the release of US security aid to Ukraine contingent on Kiev publicly declaring it would carry out politically motivated investigations that he demanded.

The comments by William Taylor, a career diplomat and former Army officer who serves as the charge d’affaires in the US embassy in Ukraine, were in a copy of his statement to lawmakers posted online by US media.

Taylor’s statement to the three Democratic-led House of Representatives committees leading an impeachment inquiry against the Republican president marked a pivotal development in the political drama unfolding in Washington that threatens Trump’s presidency even as he pursues re-election.

It ran counter to Trump’s contention that there was no quid pro quo — a Latin phrase meaning a favor for a favor — related to the $391 million in security assistance approved by the US Congress to help combat Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that Trump had withheld.

“It was the most damning testimony,” said Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

In closed-door testimony, Taylor said he was told by Gordon Sondland, the US envoy to the European Union, that Trump had linked release of the aid to public declarations by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he would investigate Trump’s domestic political rival Joe Biden, and his son Hunter Biden, as well as a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 election.

Zelenskiy agreed to the request. The aid was later released. “There was no quid pro quo,” said White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham. “Today was just more triple hearsay and selective leaks from the Democrats’ politically-motivated, closed door, secretive hearings.”

In his testimony, Taylor detailed numerous conversations and events and emphasised the strategic importance of Ukraine as it faces Russian aggression.

Previously released text messages that Taylor sent to other senior US officials denounced as “crazy” the idea of withholding the security aid to benefit a domestic political campaign. — Reuters

Lawmakers’ case for impeachment grows

Democratic lawmakers’ case for impeaching President Donald Trump grew stronger when the top US diplomat in Ukraine testified that the White House withheld assistance to Kiev “for domestic political reasons”. Taylor's explosive testimony -- which was leaked to US media -- added to the allegations that Trump illegally pressured Ukraine to help boost his political prospects in the United States. The mounting evidence could support multiple impeachment charges that Trump has abused the power of his office, violated US election laws and illegally obstructed a congressional investigation. The scandal blew up in September when an explosive whistleblower complaint came to light.

Taylor’s ukraine testimony

• In his testimony, William Taylor detailed numerous conversations and events and emphasised the strategic importance of Ukraine as it faces Russian aggression
• Previously released text messages that Taylor sent to other senior US officials denounced as “crazy” the idea of withholding the security aid to benefit a domestic political campaign
• In his testimony, Taylor emphatically reiterated that view