Trump asked: "How long will Ukraine last alone with Russia?"
Other parts of the video that documented a dinner in 2018 contradict the president's statements that he did not know Giuliani's associates, who are on trial and attended the same meeting. Freezing military aid to Kiev is at the center of the impeachment proceeding against Trump
Trump asked: "How long will Ukraine last alone with Russia?"
Photo: Reuters, Edit: Amit SimchaUS President Donald Trump asked how long Ukraine could hold in front of Russia without United States aid, during a 2018 dinner, attended by several of his close associates, Rudy Giuliani's lawyer, who is on trial.
How long will they hold the war in Russia? ", Trump is heard voicing in a video, moments before calling for the dismissal of Ukrainian ambassador Mary Jovanovich. , Currently undergoing a Senate impeachment trial.
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"Get rid of it": Trump recorded in a call demanding to fire Ukraine's ambassadorAttacked Bush, China and the media. Trump (Photo: Reuters)
US President Donald Trump at White House on January 16, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)
The 80-minute video reached the Associated Press yesterday. Excerpts of it were first broadcast by ABC Network. The indictment contradicts the president's statements that he did not know the heart of Frans or Igor Froman, Giuliani's associates and key figures in an investigation last year on financial offenses.
"The biggest problem there, I think we should start getting rid of the embassy," a voice recording that seems to belong to France is heard. He later told Trump: "She's actually turning around and telling everyone, 'Wait, he'll be rejected. Just wait.'
Trump responded: "Get rid of her. Get rid of her tomorrow, I don't care. Get rid of her tomorrow. Get rid of her. Okay? Do it."
Ukraine came up as a topic of conversation at dinner as part of a discussion on energy markets. Ferns described his involvement in acquiring a Ukrainian energy company. Attendees later praised Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to whom Trump said: "Pompeo is going to be good. He's doing a good job. He's now done a good job."
The recording from the dinner
Trump also talked about the crisis on the border with Mexico, insisting he wanted to build a concrete wall, but he said law enforcement officials told him that was not real.
Toward the end of the meal, the discussion shifted to election and communication. "The magazines are dead," Trump said. "I think cable networks are fine. If we ever lose the election, cable TV will die," Trump told the laughter of his guests. "Can you imagine what would have happened if they had a regular candidate? That's all they talk about. If it was Hillary, Hillary corrupt, their ratings would be a fifth of that." Trump said he believes he would have been more difficult in the 2016 election if Senator Bernie Sanders was the Democratic candidate.
At the end, you can hear Frances presenting a gift to Trump from the "Chief Rabbi of Ukraine" and rabbis in Israel who are in parallel with him. "Messiah is like the person who came to save the whole world. So it's like you are the savior of Ukraine," Farnes told him.
"All Ukrainian Jews are praying for you," Froman said, while Frances tells Trump to show the gift to Jared Kushner, the president's Jewish son-in-law and crying consultant, to explain his meaning to him.