On September 25, President Zelensky and President Trump met face-to-face for a bilateral meeting on the margins of the 74th United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly in New York. The presidents jointly participated in a media availability, during which President Zelensky asserted that he felt no pressure.[1] President Zelensky said then:
Q. President Zelensky, have you felt any pressure from President Trump to investigate Joe Biden and Hunter Biden?
A. I think you read everything. So I think you read text. I'm sorry, but I don't want to be involved to democratic, open elections—elections of USA. No, you heard that we had, I think, good phone call. It was normal. We spoke about many things. And I—so I think, and you read it, that nobody pushed—pushed me.[2]
President Zelensky again reiterated that he was not pressured to investigate President Trump's political rival during an interview with a Kyodo News, a Japanese media outlet, published on October 6. Kyodo News quoted President Zelensky as saying, "I was never pressured and there were no conditions being imposed" on a White House meeting or U.S. security assistance to Ukraine.[3] President Zelensky denied "reports by U.S. media that [President] Trump's requests were conditions" for a White House meeting or U.S. security assistance.[4]
On October 10, during an all-day media availability in Kyiv, President Zelensky again emphasized that he felt no pressure to investigate President Trump's political rival. President Zelensky said there was "no blackmail" during the conversation, explaining: "This is not corruption. It was just a call."[5]
In addition, on September 21—before President Trump had even declassified and released the call summary—Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko denied that President Trump had pressured President Zelensky to investigate President Trump's political rival.[6] Foreign Minister Prystaiko said:
I know what the conversation was about and I think there was no pressure. There was talk, conversations are different, leaders have the right to discuss any problems that exist. This conversation was
- ↑ Press Release, The White House, Remarks by President Trump and President Zelensky of Ukraine Before Bilateral Meeting (Sept. 25, 2019), available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarkspresident-trump-president-zelensky-ukraine-bilateral-meeting-new-york-ny/.
- ↑ Id. (emphasis added).
- ↑ Ukraine president denies being pushed by Trump to investigate Biden, Kyodo News, Oct. 6, 2019.
- ↑ Id.
- ↑ Ukraine's president says 'no blackmail' in Trump call, BBC, Oct. 10, 2019.
- ↑ "Trump did not pressure Zelenskyy, Ukraine is independent state" – Foreign Minister Prystaiko, Hromadske, Sept. 21, 2019.
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