Donald Trump impeachment inquiry: Holes blasted in Kiev defences

Donald Trump’s ambassador to the EU made the explosive admission, adding officials were ‘in the loop’.

US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland has made the bombshell admission that he pressured Ukraine to investigate Democrats directly on the orders of President Donald Trump.

Republican defences were dealt a second blow when Assistant Secretary of Defence Laura Cooper testified to the House of Representatives intelligence committee that it appeared Ukraine was aware $US400m in military aid was being withheld before Mr Trump asked Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate political rival Joe Biden.

Mr Sondland also said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other senior administration officials were fully aware of the pressure campaign and “everyone was in the loop, it was no secret”.
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The explosive testimony was the most dramatic moment yet in impeachment proceedings, given that Mr Sondland is a Trump ally and donor and had previously denied or played down many aspects of the Ukraine pressure campaign.

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill. Picture: AP

Mr Sondland also admitted there was a quid pro quo linking a White House visit for Mr Zelensky to an investigation of Mr Biden and his son Hunter. He assumed there was also one linking the military aid to an investigation but he testified Mr Trump never stated that to him.

“I know that members of this committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a ‘quid pro quo?’ ” he told the impeachment inquiry on Thursday (AEDT).

“With regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes.”

But he later cautioned: “I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on the announcement (of an investigation into the Bidens)”.

Ms Cooper testified Ukrainian officials had asked her staff “what was going on” with US military aid as early as July 25 — the very day that Mr Trump asked Mr Zelensky to investigate the Bidens. She said she “cannot say for certain” that Ukraine was aware the aid was being withheld, but said “it’s the recollection of my staff that they likely knew”.

Republicans have argued there couldn’t be a “quid pro quo” if Ukrainians weren’t aware of a hold on the aid.

The President quoted part of Mr Sondland’s testimony where he said Mr Trump told him in a phone call in September: “I want nothing, I want nothing, I want no quid pro quo. I want Zelensky to do the right thing.”

The White House also quoted that portion of Mr Sondland’s testimony saying “That should be the only takeaway from today’s sham hearing, and it was stated under oath by the only person in these hearings who has ever spoken directly to President Trump.”

Rep. John Ratcliffe goes through his notes as Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, testifies before the House Intelligence Committee, Picture: Getty Images

Mr Sondland testified that “at the express direction of the President of the United States”, he worked with Mr Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who was engaged in a campaign to pressure Ukraine.

He said Mr Giuliani was “expressing the desires of the President of the United States” when he “demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing ­investigations”.

Mr Sondland said he was never told why the US withheld the military aid to Ukraine but came to ­assume it was also linked to the President’s desire for an investi­gation of the Bidens.

“In the absence of any credible explanation for the hold, I came to the conclusion that the aid, like the White House visit, was jeopardised,” he said. “By the end of Aug­ust, my belief was that if Ukraine did something to demonstrate a serious intention to fight corruption, specifically addressing Burisma (the Ukraine energy company of which Hunter Biden was a director) … then the hold on military aid would be lifted.”

In his testimony, Mr Sondland dismissed claims he was engaged in rogue diplomacy and said many other senior officials were in the loop, including Mr Pompeo and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. “The suggestion that we were engaged in some ­irregular or rogue diplomacy is absolutely false … the leadership of State, NSC, and the White House were all informed about the Ukraine efforts.”

Mr Sondland said Mr Pompeo was fully aware of the pressure campaign with Ukraine and he revealed to the inquiry an email to Mr Pompeo in August discussing a possible meeting between Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump in Poland.

Intelligence committee chairman Adam Schiff said Mr Sondland’s testimony was “the most significant evidence to date”.

“We have heard for the first time that knowledge of this scheme was pervasive — the secretary of state was aware of it, the acting chief of staff was aware of it. And, of course, at the very top, Don­ald Trump, through his personal lawyer and others, was implementing it,” the Democrat said.

Cameron Stewart is also US contributor for Sky News Australia