Ukraine's former deputy foreign minister Olena Zerkal has stepped forward to reveal Ukraine did learn of a freeze on military aid to that country as early as July. President Trump's telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took place July 25.
This news story broke Dec. 3, in the New York Times. The impeachment was Dec. 18, so this news would have came in time to be included in the House's proceedings.
Today is the first time I have heard this news. As a person who has followed the impeachment reasonably well, how did I miss this? Was the news covered well by our media? I word search, but do not find anything other than the NY Times article, and an overview of the NY Times article by Axios, and a Washington Post article that way down in the story makes reference to the NY Times article.
Square this news with news that broke about a week ago. An email released through a Freedom of Information inquiry showed a White House official making it official that funds were to be held back. The timing of the email? It came immediately after the Trump-Zelensky phone call -- maybe 90 minutes after the call was concluded. This coincides with Zerkal's testimony. She says when she learned of the freeze, she asked for a July 30 meeting with one of Zelensky's aids.
Zerkal resigned her post in late November in protest of the government's back-channel diplomacy with the Trump Administration and with Russia.
Zerkal also told the NY Times that the Zelensky Administration blocked a trip she wanted to make to meet with members of Congress. This further adds to evidence of a cover-up on both sides of the Atlantic, as the email the day of the phone call specified that the freeze on military aide was to be kept under wraps.
No comments:
Post a Comment