U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s first in-person meeting was likely the most anticipated encounter on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly owing to a whistleblower complaint about their last phone call, which might even cost the American leader his presidency.
The U.S. House of Representatives launched a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump for asking Ukraine’s president to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Biden is Trump’s most likely rival in the 2020 election, meaning the president could seriously benefit from such an investigation.
But hours before the two leaders’ meeting, the White House released a memorandum of their July 25 phone call, which confirmed many concerns about the conversation.
“It’s better to be on TV than by phone,” former comedian Zelensky joked as he sat down next to Trump in front of the press at the UN on Sept. 25.
But Zelensky’s jovial mood soon disappeared.
He wanted to tell the world and the president of one of Ukraine’s key allies that his administration and the new government were committed to reforming Ukraine. He wanted to brag about their achievements in passing new laws and launching the Anti-Corruption Court. And more importantly, he wanted to ask for more support.
“We have two wars in Ukraine. The first one is with corruption. We will be a winner in this fight. My priority is to stop the war in the Donbas and get the occupied territories back,” Zelensky said.
But Trump showed little interest.
The U.S. helps Ukraine, he said, but Germany, France, and the European Union should feel guilty for not helping Ukraine as much as they should.
“You are very important strategically to the EU, and they should stand a lot in helping Ukraine. I’m sure you’ll talk to them,” Trump said. He later added that U.S. gives “the most money” to Ukraine.
The EU has provided 15 billion euros in grants and loans to Ukraine since 2014 and is the largest trade partner of the country.
The U.S. Congress recently got $390 million worth of military aid for Ukraine reinstated after Trump ordered it frozen. According to the Washington Post, he did so before his call with Zelensky — presumably to put pressure on Ukraine to push forward his own political agenda against Biden. He told journalists on Sept. 24 that “he would withhold it again.”
As the presser deteriorated into an airing of grievances, Zelensky tried to turn the tables, but to no avail.
“We thank all EU countries and the U.S. but we want more (support.) I understand that only together (with) America and the EU we can stop the war (in Donbas),” the Ukrainian leader said.
“I heard that you made some progress with Russia. Keep it going. It will be nice to end the disaster,” Trump replied. “I hope you and Vladimir Putin can get together and solve your problems.”
The Bidens
What Trump said he wanted from Zelensky was fighting corruption — specifically the massive corruption he alleged Biden’s son was involved in.
Hunter Biden served on the board of directors of Ukrainian private oil and gas company Burisma for five years. Although the company and its owner, former minister Mykola Zlochevsky, were previously investigated on corruption charges, neither Biden has ever fallen under the scrutiny of Ukrainian law enforcement.
“Biden’s son walks out of Ukraine with millions of dollars,” Trump said. “If Ukraine fights corruption, it will do the world a huge favor.”
According to the memo of their July phone call, which was not a verbatim transcript of the conversation, Trump asked Zelensky to talk to his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and U.S. Attorney General William Barr about Biden’s son. He claims that Biden stopped his son’s prosecution in Ukraine by getting the prosecutor general fired. Giuliani has long pushed these allegations, but they have never been proven.
Read More: Trump whistleblower scandal, explained from Ukraine
Asked by a reporter whether he had been pressured by Trump to investigate Biden, Zelensky denied it.
“You read the text (of the memo). I’m sorry. I don’t want to be involved to (sic) the democratic open elections of USA,” Zelensky said. “I think we had a good phone call. It was normal. We spoke about many things. Nobody pushed me.”
Trump added: “In other words, no pressure.”
“I don’t owe anything to anyone. Ukraine is an independent state,” Zelensky said later. “I can’t push anyone. That is the answer. I didn’t call or ask the new prosecutor general.”
According to the memo, Zelensky assured Trump that “the next prosecutor general will be 100 percent his person, his candidate,” and he would look into Burisma, although the company wasn’t named directly.
