Trump’s transcript tells the whole story, I don’t want to interfere with US elections: Ukrainian President Zelensky

Ukrainian Leader Volodymyr Zelensky has said that all information about his supposedly suspicious call with President Donald Trump is already in the transcript, and he doesn’t want to meddle in US elections by adding more.

President Trump released a transcript of a July phone call with Zelensky, during which Democrats allege Trump pressured the Ukrainian leader to reopen an investigation into Joe Biden’s son Hunter’s supposedly corrupt business dealings in the country. The transcript detailed Trump asking Zelensky to “look into” the case, but revealed no pressure or quid-pro-quo arrangement.

With House Democrats pursuing impeachment, Zelensky and Trump appeared on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to address the controversy.

“It was normal,” Zelensky said of the call. “You read everything.”

“I don’t want to be involved in democratic, open elections of the USA,” he added, when asked if he felt pressured to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. 

Democrats accuse Trump of pushing Zelensky for dirt on his 2020 opponent, while Trump says Joe Biden strong-armed Ukrainian authorities into quashing a corruption case against his son while vice president, using the threat of suspending military aid as leverage. 

Zelensky said during the presser that he did not pressure any authorities in Ukraine regarding the probe involving Biden's son.

“I want him to do whatever he can in terms of corruption,” Trump said of Zelensky. “When Biden’s son walks away with millions of dollars from Ukraine, and he knows nothing, that’s corruption.”

Central to the Democrats’ argument against Trump is the fact that he suspended nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine days before his call with Zelensky. Trump, however, insists that the payment was eventually made, and was suspended in a bid to force his European allies to pay their fair share.

In addition to his usual boasts about the US economy and digs at the Obama administration, Trump praised Zelensky for his efforts to calm tensions with Russia, including a prisoner exchange earlier this month. “I really hope that you and President Putin can get together and solve your problem,” Trump said. “That would be a tremendous achievement.”

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