Ukraine Foreign Minister: U.S. Aid, Investigations Were ‘Never’ Linked

Ukrainian foreign minister Vadym Prystaiko said Thursday that U.S. Ambassador to the E.U. Gordon Sondland had “never” linked U.S. aid to Ukrainian investigations of the 2016 elections or the Biden’s role in stopping a probe of Burisma.

Prystaiko spoke the day after the first public hearings in the House Intelligence Committee as part of the “impeachment inquiry,” where two witnesses said they came to believe there had been such a link — though only some time after Politico reported on August 28 that aid had been held up by the Trump administration.

One of the witnesses, Chargé d’affaires Bill Taylor, introduced new evidence that a staffer told him recently that he overheard Sondland speaking to President Donald Trump the day after his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, discussing “investigations.” The staffer also told Taylor that Sondland said that Trump was more interested in investigations than anything else.

As Breitbart News’ Kristina Wong noted, that new evidence — which is fourth-hand hearsay, plus opinion — added little new information, but was cited by Democrats and journalists as evidence that aid might have been linked to investigations Trump had asked the new Ukrainian government to pursue.

Illegal immigrant accused of killing newlywed couple in Oregon crash arrested by ICE after jail release

Biden Admin Used a ‘Code Word’ to Conceal Loans to Planned Parenthood, Senator Alleges

Reagan shooter calls link to Washington hotel ‘spooky’ after alleged Trump assassination attempt at same site

Self-Avowed ‘Socialist Socialite’ Roasted After Mocking Budget Dress Worn by Hegseth’s Wife

Teacher’s ‘Disgusting’ Comment About White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Gets Him Placed on Leave

CNN Admits Trump Suspect Parroted Mainstream Dem ‘Hitler’ Rhetoric, Was Radicalized Around Election

DHS taunts media for reporting about ‘Green Bay man’ illegal immigrant charged in vicious machete attack

Ghost in the gallery: George Washington looks on as King Charles addresses Congress

Dem and GOP lawmakers trade blame over rhetoric after WHCD shooting: ‘It is disgusting’

Dem plot to limit Trump war powers on Cuba fails as GOP falls in line with military action abroad

Five key themes of King Charles III’s address to Congress

Starmer escapes inquiry on Mandelson vetting by a Parliament vote

FBI brings alleged China-linked hacker to US in rare extradition as Patel defends Italy trip

Tim Walz Shamed After Trying to Take Credit for Federal Raids on Somali-Owned Minnesota Businesses

ABC Not Firing Jimmy Kimmel After Melania ‘Widow’ Comments Feels Like Network Flipping Off Millions

On Thursday, Prystaiko said that there had been no link in discussions at the time with Sondland, as Reuters reported:

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on Thursday that U.S. ambassador Gordon Sondland did not explicitly link military aid to Kiev with opening an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Interfax Ukraine reported.

…

“Ambassador Sondland did not tell us, and certainly did not tell me, about a connection between the assistance and the investigations. You should ask him,” Prystaiko said about Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union.

…

“I have never seen a direct relationship between investigations and security assistance,” Prystaiko was quoted as saying by Interfax. “Yes, the investigations were mentioned, you know, in the conversation of the presidents. But there was no clear connection between these events.”