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Trump Confirms He Withheld Ukraine Aid, Did It To Pressure Europe

By RFE/RL September 24, 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed he told staff to freeze almost $400 million in aid to Ukraine just ahead of a phone call to Kyiv where he allegedly pressed President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate a political rival.

Speaking to reporters at the United Nations on September 24, Trump said that he made the move to combat corruption and push European nations -- singling out France and Germany by name -- to "put up money" to help Ukraine.

"As far as withholding funds, those funds were paid," Trump said in New York, calling allegations that he pressured Zelenskiy "ridiculous."

"They were fully paid. But my complaint has always been, and I'd withhold again and I'll continue to withhold until such time as Europe and other nations contribute to Ukraine."

Since 2014, the EU and European financial institutions have mobilized a package of more than 15 billion euros ($16.5 billion) in grants and loans to support Ukraine's reform process, according to the bloc.

U.S. media have reported that an intelligence community whistle-blower had filed a complaint in August after becoming alarmed at Trump's alleged attempt to pressure Zelenskiy in a phone call.

On September 22, Trump confirmed he had raised the subject of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son in a July 25 call with Zelenskiy, who has declined so far to comment on the reports.

Trump said he told Zelenskiy, a 41-year-old political novice, that "we don't want our people, like Vice President [Joe] Biden and his son," contributing to corruption already happening in Ukraine.

He denied pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden, one of the leading Democratic contenders seeking to oppose Trump, a Republican, in next year's election.

Trump's admission about the phone call stoked calls for Democrats to launch impeachment proceedings in Congress.

"We had a perfect phone call," the president said on September 23. "Everybody knows it's just a Democrat witch-hunt."

During a picture-taking session with Polish President Andrzej Duda later in the day, Trump was asked if he was going to release a transcript of the call.

"I may do it," he answered, adding that he was concerned about the precedent of releasing transcripts of presidential phone calls with foreign leaders.

Trump and Zelenskiy are expected to meet this week during the UN General Assembly in New York.

Oleksandr Danylyuk, a top official in the Ukrainian president's administration, told Reuters on September 23 that Kyiv's main objective was to have Washington's support as well as trusting relations with the United States.

"Understanding the importance of Ukraine's support in the context of everything that's going on in our region, any attempts to use Ukraine by one party or the other is clearly detrimental to our relations," said Danylyuk, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-confirms- he-withheld-ukraine-aid-did-it-to- pressure-europe/30181569.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.