Posted on 10/06/2019 9:57:17 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
A Republican U.S. senator claimed Friday that President Trump in August blocked him from reassuring Ukraine that military aid would be coming to the country from the U.S.
Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said the block came shortly after a U.S. diplomat told him that nearly $400 million in aid was contingent on Ukraine investigating the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the Wall Street Journal reported. Johnson said he winced when he heard from Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, that the aid was dependent on an investigation.
"My reaction was, 'Oh, God. I don't want to see those two things combined,' Johnson said. He said he was surprised when Trump wouldnt allow him to tell Ukraine the aid was on its way.
Earlier this week, text messages were released as part of House panels' Trump impeachment inquiry showing Sondland and other diplomats encouraged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the Ukrainian gas company whose board Joe Biden's son served on in return for a potential high-profile visit to Washington, D.C., to meet with Trump.
The diplomats, according to the text messages, were struggling to keep the potential of a meeting from turning into a quid pro quo.
Johnson is a leader of the Senates Ukraine caucus and made several trips to the country this year after Zelensky was elected.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Ukraine is corrupt so what could you expect from an investigation?
Forces in the Ukraine were part of the effort to undermine the 2016 election?
No wonder America is hesitant to send them “aid” money.
That “US diplomat” needs to be fired ASAP.
Probably just another Dem mole, trying to make Pres. Trump look guilty.
So Johnson is a Ukrainian Senator?
With all that web of corruption it is hard to tell whose loyalities and where.
Forces in the Ukraine were part of the effort to undermine the 2016 election?
**************
Johnson is evidently not one bit concerned about that. He runs the Ukraine Caucus don’cha know.
Is Ron Jr. working for a Ukraine oil and gas company too?
R&D’s involved.
I am confused, I thought we were supposed to be investigating foreign interference in USA elections?
What would be wrong with holding up aid until we got the
answers we need. Why must we always be Uncle SAP?
I don’t see anything wrong with making aid dependent on doing something for the United States. We’re not under any obligation to give any other country money, except by our own choosing.
Want to bet the 2016 Obama appointed US/ EU Ambassador was not the most...reliable or nonpartisan source
2016 was a big year for the GOP, it seems some of the guys Mueller went after like Manafort, Page and PapaD were pulled into the Trump campaign orbit as advisors to develop strategy on Russia/ Ukraine issues for the GOP platform prepared for the convention
One contentious issue was amending US policy to approve lethal ( offenisve) weapons to Ukraine, to be used against so-called Russian militia in eastern Ukraine
Some reports indicate Trump people had already begun contacts in Ukraine to work out a settlement on Crimea between Ukraine and Russia, to the dismay paranoia and rage of guys like McCain and the Clinton/ Soros camp who be like kill Russians and regarded Trump as a threat to the world
So Johnson is a Ukrainian Senator?
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He is another Bush League Republican that needs to be replaced.
Why is there a “Ukrain caucus” in the Senate?
A sudden new concept of American diplomacy. Foreign aid is supposed to have absolutely no intent to effect on the behavior of the country receiving it.
Ukraine has an illegitimate Nazi New World Order government anyway. We shouldn’t be giving them a penny. Much less a billion dollars for the Eastern Front
Take part of this back
Gordon Sondland was appointed EU Ambassador by Trump in 2018
Anything he claims happened in 2016 would be hearsay or scuttlebutt
The guy is a rich hotelier and major Trump donor but diplomatic or State Department experience is missing from his resume
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Sondland
Johnson is listed as retiring on a list of Senators and their next election date. His next election is in 2022. He is from the private sector with a family owned small business, according to his bio. Interesting times.
62 votes for impeachment with 6 maybes.
Also notice that autocorrect changes Scondland's name to "secondhand".
Seems appropriate.
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