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.

President Trump Nominates Franklin Graham’s Daughter for Key Religious Freedom Position

Nancy Mace Wants Lindsay Clancy Executed, And Says ‘It Should Be Public’

Judge refers Philadelphia district attorney to federal prosecutors over handling of murder case

Senate moves to rein in college sports ‘Wild West’ with sweeping new rules for players, schools

Democrat rebels defy Jeffries to hand GOP critical win just before midterms

Kash Patel says ‘no evidence’ Trump shooter Thomas Crooks spoke to anyone but his parents

Oct. 7 families release dossier blaming Netanyahu for massacre

Historic: FBI Captures All 10 Fugitives on ‘Most Wanted’ List in Trump’s Second Term

Newsom’s Harris gamble: Clearing the field or betting she won’t run?

Mainstream Media Attempts to Cancel Star Texas QB Arch Manning for His Comments About Female ESPN Reporter

AG Blanche unveils federal charges against 160 defendants in pandemic relief sweep

Seven noncitizens charged in North Texas election-integrity investigation

Pentagon reveals secret space weapons are already in orbit — but won’t say what they do

WATCH: ‘Lifelong Democrat’ admits she is ‘ashamed’ of party after son killed in illegal immigrant crash

Karl Rove to Vote for Pro-Trans Dem After GOP Candidate Shares Texas Student Section Pic

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.”