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.
Hasan Piker cheerleads progressives as 80-year-old senator wins six more years
Progressive push hits wall against conservative Democrat in deep-blue district
Washington homeowner hears mysterious banging, calls 911 before police find growling bobcat at top of stairs
Breaking: Intimidation Arrest Made Outside Courthouse of Lindsay Clancy Trial Setting Stage for Potential Mistrial
Tyler Robinson to face trial in Charlie Kirk assassination as judge keeps death penalty on table
Top Democrat survives double-barreled challenge as party’s Israel divide hits home
Colin Kaepernick Reemerges and Tries to Cash in on Playing the Victim
House Democrat survives left-flank challenge as Bernie volunteer mounts insurgent bid
Ed Markey survives Massachusetts Senate primary challenge from Seth Moulton
Trump Wants Congress to Save Hollywood from Going Bust – His Heart Might Be in The Right Place, But He’s Dead Wrong
DOJ sues Kansas school district over ‘secret gender transitions’ in first-of-its-kind lawsuit
Former president-turned-amateur artist George W. Bush debuting new paintings for 9/11 remembrance
Canadian Voters Double Down on Hostility Toward Trump, Hand Liberal Party Special Election Sweep
Republicans turn on House GOP lawmaker accused of late-night texts, lavish gifts to female staffers
Starmer steps down from Parliament to seek opportunities in ‘international affairs,’ with Greens eager to snatch his seat
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.”
Hasan Piker cheerleads progressives as 80-year-old senator wins six more years
Progressive push hits wall against conservative Democrat in deep-blue district
Washington homeowner hears mysterious banging, calls 911 before police find growling bobcat at top of stairs
Breaking: Intimidation Arrest Made Outside Courthouse of Lindsay Clancy Trial Setting Stage for Potential Mistrial
Tyler Robinson to face trial in Charlie Kirk assassination as judge keeps death penalty on table
Top Democrat survives double-barreled challenge as party’s Israel divide hits home
Colin Kaepernick Reemerges and Tries to Cash in on Playing the Victim
House Democrat survives left-flank challenge as Bernie volunteer mounts insurgent bid
Ed Markey survives Massachusetts Senate primary challenge from Seth Moulton
Trump Wants Congress to Save Hollywood from Going Bust – His Heart Might Be in The Right Place, But He’s Dead Wrong
DOJ sues Kansas school district over ‘secret gender transitions’ in first-of-its-kind lawsuit
Former president-turned-amateur artist George W. Bush debuting new paintings for 9/11 remembrance
Canadian Voters Double Down on Hostility Toward Trump, Hand Liberal Party Special Election Sweep
Republicans turn on House GOP lawmaker accused of late-night texts, lavish gifts to female staffers
Starmer steps down from Parliament to seek opportunities in ‘international affairs,’ with Greens eager to snatch his seat
In his closed-door testimony last month, which was released by the House Intelligence Committee several days ago, Sondland told the committee that he had spoken frequently with Prystaiko and other Ukrainian officials during the period in question.
Sondland is due to testify in the public hearings next week.
Story cited here.
