‘I Don’t Want To Be Involved’: Ukrainian Prez Dodges Q’s On Trump’s Pressure For Dirt

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky listens during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in New York on September 25, 2019, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed Wednesday that he wanted to stay out of the roiling American political controversy over President Donald Trump’s pressure on him to supply dirt on Joe Biden.

Sitting next to Trump at their first in-person meeting, at the United Nations, Zelensky was asked if he felt any pressure from Trump to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.

During a call on July 25, a memorandum of which the White House released Wednesday, Trump is shown repeatedly pressuring Zelensky to look into Biden.

Zelensky demurred, referencing the memorandum and saying he didn’t want to get involved.

“I think you read everything,” he said. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be involved to democratic, open elections,” he said, adding: “No, you heard that we had a good, I think, phone call. It was normal, we spoke about many things. So I think — and you read it — that nobody pushed me.”

Trump butted in: “In other words, no pressure, because there was no pressure.” He then turned to Zelensky and said “I appreciate the answer.”

Later, asked if he felt “obligated” to keep his promises to Trump, Zelensky responded in Ukrainian. Trump asked for a translation.

“Concerning the investigation, I want to underscore that Ukraine is an independent country,” the translator read back. “We have a new prosecutor general in Ukraine, a highly professional man with a western education and history, to investigate any case he considers and deems appropriate.”

Zelensky’s comments echoed what Ukraine’s foreign minister, Vadym Prystaiko, had said in an interview that aired Saturday: “I think there was no pressure.”

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Notable Replies

  1. I don’t know…The guy is either a wet noodle or this is what witness tampering looks like in plain sight. You be the judge.

  2. Sitting next to a man who could and perhaps already has given Russia the green light to annex a third of your country, I imagine anyone would be shitting bricks like Zelensky was.

  3. Circling the wagons.
    Zelensky is tip-toeing around this to make sure he is not found dead of Polonium poisoning some day.

    He knows who the REAL person behind this is; Vladimir Putin
    I am POSITIVE Trump reminded him of that fact in the actual phone call, and THAT is what the Intelligence Officers (plural) found so concerning a Whistle Blower report was filed, and APPROVED by the DNI IG.

  4. Avatar for sooner sooner says:

    This is this guy’s first foray into politics so I can appreciate his unwillingness to get involved.

    Ukraine needs American arms and financial aid to fend off The Chosen One’s butt buddy. Zelensky is walking a tightrope here.

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