The Democrats in the US House of Representatives want to listen to public witnesses in Ukraine in a timely manner in the investigation for a possible impeachment trial against US President Donald Trump. Next Wednesday, among other things, the managing US Ambassador in Kiev, William Taylor, will be heard.
He had testified non-publicly two weeks ago that Trump had deliberately withheld military aid. The transcript of his statement was released Wednesday - increasing pressure on the US president.
The Democrats want to find out if Trump used around US $ 400 million in military aid as a means of pressure to investigate Ukraine and use it in the US election campaign.
Trump, according to Taylor's statement, called for a public statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj stating that investigations are underway against the son of potential US presidential candidate Joe Biden. "It was my clear understanding that military assistance would not come until the President (of Ukraine) committed to prosecute the investigation," Taylor said in the survey.
Hunter Biden, son of Joe Biden, was with the gas company until last April. Trump accuses Hunter Biden and his father of corruption. Joe Biden is among the most promising candidates for the presidential candidacy of the Democrats in the November 2020 election - in which Trump will stand for re-election for the Republicans. Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is said to have led past official channels talks with Ukraine to launch an investigation against Biden.
Conversation without transcript
In his statement, Taylor also referred to a telephone conversation he had with US Ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland. He had told him that both the payment of the frozen funds and a planned visit to Selensky's in the White House depended on such a public announcement. Taylor also said that Sondland had insisted that a telephone call between Trump and Selenkskyj on June 28 would not include all the government officials who would normally overhear during such conversations. Moreover, Sondland insisted that there was no transcript of the conversation.
Sondland stated in his statement that he had always believed that it was "unwise" to suspend military assistance to Ukraine, "even though I did not know (and still do not know) when, why or by whom" the aid was temporarily blocked (read more here).
