A released transcript of text message conversations between senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials has confirmed that the U.S. pressured Ukraine to investigate U.S. President Donald Trump’s political opponents in return for an official White House visit, the release of military aid and better relations with the U.S.
The messages also show President Volodymyr Zelensky had agreed to go along in hopes of improving the Ukrainian-American relationship.
Zelensky has not yet commented on the released conversations.
As well as a White House visit for Zelensky, coveted by the Ukrainian president as a show of U.S. support in the face of Russia’s ongoing war, the withholding of $391.5 million in military assistance to Ukraine was also used to leverage Kyiv. Trump wanted Zelensky to begin investigations into alleged Ukrainian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections and to force a new investigation into Burisma, a Ukrainian gas extraction company affiliated with former U.S. vice president Joe Biden’s son Hunter.
The heads of three U.S. Congress committees – Adam Schiff, Eliot Engel and Elijah Cummings – on Oct. 3 released the transcript of text messages between three U.S. diplomats: Gordon Sondland, ambassador to the European Union, William Taylor, charge d’affaires and acting ambassador in Ukraine, and Kurt Volker, special envoy to Ukraine.
Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is also featured in the messages. From the Ukrainian side, the only participant was Andriy Yermak, a close aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The report authors stated that the release was meant “to help correct the public record,” after Giuliani released a portion of his texts with Volker, prompting the diplomat’s resignation on Sept. 27.
“The president and his aides are engaged in a campaign of misinformation and misdirection in an attempt to normalize the act of soliciting foreign powers to interfere in our elections,” reads the report.
Read More: Trump, Giuliani drag Ukraine into wild conspiracy
July 25 phone call
The published text conversation begins in July, just six days before the infamous Zelensky-Trump phone call that triggered an impeachment inquiry against Trump.
On July 19, Volker introduced Giuliani to Yermak.
Two days later, on July 21, Sondland briefs Zelensky on the upcoming call with Trump. On the same day, Taylor texts Sondland, stressing that Ukraine does not want to be used as a tool in U.S. domestic politics.
“Zelensky is sensitive about Ukraine being taken seriously, not merely as an instrument in Washington’s domestic, reelection politics,” Taylor writes to Sondland.
On July 25, hours before the Zelensky-Trump phone call Volker writes: “Heard from White House – assuming President (Zelensky) convinces Trump he will investigate ‘get to the bottom of what happened’ in 2016 (U.S. presidential elections)… we will nail down a date for (Zelensky’s) visit to Washington.
Zelensky’s visit to the U.S. was tied to Ukraine opening probes into Ukrainians “interfering” in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections to help Democrats, a theory pushed by Giuliani and Trump that is not supported by evidence.
Pressuring Ukraine to investigate Burisma
The second part of the conversation (Aug. 8 – Sept. 9) among Volker, Sondland and Yermak deals with the U.S. presidential administration pressuring Ukraine to investigate Burisma, a Ukrainian company affiliated with Hunter Biden, and investigate allegations that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 elections.
Burisma is a Ukrainian gas extracting company where the son of Joe Biden, the former U.S. vice president and the Democratic Party potential nominee in the upcoming 2020 presidential elections, sat on the board of directors between 2014 and 2019. The company and its owner have faced several investigations, including one for money laundering. All were closed and, allegedly sabotaged, by Ukrainian prosecutors.
Giuliani and Trump believe that Biden used his power as U.S. vice president to stop the investigations by pressuring Ukraine to replace its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin. In fact, the opposite is true: Biden pushed and publicly for corruption investigations and then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey R. Pyatt as far back as 2015 publicly condemned the sabotage of the Burisma case by Shokin’s prosecutors. The United Kingdom had frozen $23 million in Burisma’s accounts, awaiting evidence of money laundering. Instead, prosecutors cleared Burisma and its owner, ex-Ecology Minister Mykhailo Zlochevsky, of any crime.
According to the messages, the investigations were a prerequisite for Trump’s first meeting with Zelensky.
The withholding of military assistance to Ukraine is also discussed, implying that it was part of the bargain.
“Let’s iron out statement and use that to get date (of meeting)” writes Volker on Aug. 8, in reference to a statement Zelensky is being coerced into giving in support of Burisma investigations and alleged election interference.
“Once we have a date (for the Trump-Zelensky meeting), we call a press briefing, announcing upcoming visit and outlining vision for the reboot of US-Ukraine relationship, including among other things Burisma and election meddling in investigations,” texts Yermak.
“Sounds great!” Volker replies.
Volker texts Sondland, on Aug. 13, that Ukraine is to make a statement on beginning investigations against Burisma and 2016 election meddling.
Volker prepares a draft for Ukraine. Later, it is made clear that the U.S. would tell Ukraine what to say and proofread Ukraine’s official statements.
“Special attention should be paid to the problem of interference in the political process of the United States with the involvement of some Ukrainian politicians,” writes Volker on how the Ukrainian statement should look like. “We intend to initiate and complete a transparent and unbiased investigation of all available facts and episodes, including those involving Burisma and the 2016 U.S. elections.”
“Let’s send to Andriy (Yermak) after the call,” responds Sondland.
On Aug. 17 Sondland writes “do we still want (Zelensky) to give us an unequivocal draft with 2016 (elections) and Burisma?”
“That’s the clear message so far,” writes Volker.
Taylor comes across as deeply uncomfortable with military assistance to Ukraine being withheld by Trump in return for personal favors.
“Are we now saying that security assistance and White House meeting are conditional on investigation?” writes Taylor on Sept. 1, after Trump didn’t meet Zelensky in Warsaw as was planned prior to Trump canceling.
“Call me,” replies Sondland.
Taylor’s opposition
Taylor, the charge d’affaires in Ukraine and the ambassador from 2006-2009, appears to oppose the White House plan to extort political favors from Ukraine in exchange for a meeting with Trump and military aid.
He also appears to skillfully cover for himself and make sure his position is clear and in writing: “As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign,” Taylor texted Sonland, implying that Trump was using military aid to coerce Ukraine.
Sondland, meanwhile, pushed Trump’s agenda to investigate Burisma and probe the alleged election meddling in Ukraine.
Taylor said that he was concerned that Ukraine might not get the military aid even after its officials deliver their part of the deal, saying publically that they will investigate Trump’s opponents. If that happened, Taylor said he would quit.
“The nightmare is they (Ukraine) give the interview and don’t get security assistance. The Russians love it. (And I quit.)” Taylor wrote to Sonland on Sept. 8.
“Bill, I believe you are incorrect about President Trump’s intentions,” responds Sondland, transferring Taylor to Lisa Kenna, executive secretary at the U.S. State Department.
According to the published report this is only a fraction of the actual conversations, with the inquiry still able to request text message records from other related parties.
“Our investigation will continue in the coming days,” the Congress Committee’s report concluded.
