Behind closed doors, President Donald Trump has made his views on Ukraine clear: “They tried to take me down.” REUTERS
The U.S. president, according to people familiar with testimony in the House impeachment investigation, sees the Eastern European ally, not Russia, as responsible for the interference in the 2016 election that was investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller.
It’s a view denied by the intelligence community, at odds with U.S. foreign policy and dismissed by many of Trump’s fellow Republicans but part of a broader skepticism of Ukraine being shared with Trump by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his key regional ally Viktor Orban of Hungary, according to the New York Times citing Associated Press.
Trump’s embrace of an alternative view of Ukraine suggests the extent to which his approach to Kyiv was colored by a long-running, unproven conspiracy theory that has circulated online and in some corners of conservative media.
On Monday, Trump derided the impeachment probe anew as a “witch hunt,” insisting that he did nothing wrong in his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Read also NBC News: Sondland asked Ukrainian officials during private White House talk about gas firm linked to Hunter Biden But those testifying in the impeachment inquiry, now entering its fifth week, are recalling that Trump’s views on Ukraine were seen as a problem by some in the administration.
Some of those testifying recalled a May meeting at the White House when U.S. officials, just back from attending Zelenskiy’s inauguration in Kyiv, briefed Trump. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, special envoy Kurt Volker and other witnesses have described Trump as suspicious of Ukraine despite well-established American support for the fledgling democracy there. Several witnesses have testified that Trump believed Ukraine wanted to destroy his presidency.
(C)UNIAN 2019
Drumpf, like his supporters, is a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
I’m convinced that Agent Orange doesn’t really know who he’s friends with and who his enemies are.
wrong. the previous Ukranian gov’t was well known for corruption. It’s THE main reason the new President of Ukraine, Zelenskyy,was elected. He would not have considered Ukraine an ally until Zelenskyy was elected in a surprise victory.Ukraine may have had a role under the prior corrupt regime. it’s all under investigation. John Brennan is going to be questioned soon.
Most of what you said is true, friend, but there have always been some bad actors in Ukraine just like all countries, especially prior to the Euromaidan revolution in 2013/2014. We can’t simply say, “Ukraine may have had a role…” but a few bad actors probably did. The Poroshenko administration was overall a good administration but had some bad influences like Biden and company demanding prosecutors drop cases involving his son or the military aid would be dropped.