A top US diplomat has told Congress that aid to Ukraine and a meeting with President Donald Trump were linked to public investigations of a rival.
Ambassador Bill Taylor testified before an impeachment inquiry that he was told Mr Trump wanted Ukraine to probe ex-Vice-President Joe Biden’s dealings.
Mr Taylor said relations with Ukraine had been “fundamentally undermined” for “domestic political reasons”.
Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing or quid pro quo in his Ukraine policy.
Mr Taylor, a career diplomat who has been the US envoy to Ukraine since June, is the latest witness to testify before lawmakers in the Democratic-led inquiry into suspected abuse of power by the President Trump.
“Our relationship with Ukraine was being fundamentally undermined by an irregular, informal channel of US, policy-making and by the withholding of vital security assistance for domestic political reasons,” Mr Taylor said in opening remarks carried by US media.
“I found a confusing and usual arrangement for making US policy towards Ukraine. There appeared to be two channels of US policy making and implementation, one regular and one highly irregular.”
The “informal” channel included US envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker, Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Mr Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.
Top diplomat Bill Taylor (centre)testified before lawmakers
Source: BBC
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