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.

The growing list of controversies threatening Democrat Graham Platner’s Maine Senate bid

Conservatives erupt after Al Green melts down during viral clash: ‘Unhinged lunatic’

Trump says he will nominate acting AG Todd Blanche to permanently lead Justice Department

US military kills two alleged narco-terrorists in latest Eastern Pacific strike on drug-trafficking vessel

Rubio torches Democrat after bizarre hearing questions about his shoes: ‘Is this a circus?’

Gov. Mikie Sherrill accuses ICE of denying her access to Newark detention facility Delaney Hall

Bessent flips script on Dem senator with reminder about his son’s past ties to Epstein

Watch: Painful Silence Descends After AG Blanche Asks Dem Rep to Provide Source for Wild Epstein Claim, Then She Gives Dumbest Answer Possible

Garth Brooks Nears Unprecedented $2 Billion Deal That Would See Him Relinquish His Music Catalog: Report

Frontier passengers tackle man who allegedly choked off-duty flight attendant, tried to open door mid-flight

Watch: Marco Rubio Stunned as Democratic Rep Completely Loses It and Walks Out of Hearing

Islamic Guerilla Forces Attack Christians in African Country, Slaughter 21

Texas Leftist’s ‘Rally Against Rednecks’ Backfires

Christian Couple Wins Massive Victory Over Blue State That Barred Them from Foster Program

Thune moves to neutralize immigration bill landmines from DOJ lawfare fund

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.”