Media outlets on Friday published excerpts from messages between several Trump administration officials regarding the president’s interactions with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. The excerpts, when the prevailing media narrative is included, seem to show that Trump did, in fact, seek a “quid pro quo” agreement with Zelensky.
Former Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker’s closed-door testimony to congressmen on the Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight committees, however, paint a different picture. Volker’s opening testimony makes it clear there was no quid pro quo for Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump did, however, need to be assured that Zelensky was committed to rooting out the corruption that has plagued the country and contributed to the Russian meddling claims from 2016 that have been investigated the past two years (Trump was absolved of collusion in that investigation).
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