A. I got an oral readout from the staffer who works for me in the State Department and our chargé, as well as from Andrey Yermak, who had been on the call in Ukraine himself.
Q. So you got two readouts?
A. Yeah.
Q. One from each side?
A. Correct.
Q. What was the top line message you got from the State Department?
A. Well, they were the same, actually, which is interesting. But the message was congratulations from the President to President Zelensky; President Zelensky reiterating that he is committed to fighting corruption and reform in the Ukraine; and President Trump reiterating an invitation for President Zelensky to visit him at the White House. That was it.[1]
In fact, in his public testimony, Ambassador Volker testified that President Zelensky was "very upbeat about the fact of the call."[2]
Ambassador Sondland received a summary of the phone call from his staff. [3] Ambassador Sondland testified that he was pleased to learn that it was a "good call."[4] George Kent, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State covering Ukraine, testified that he received a readout of the call from NSC staffer LTC Alexander Vindman.[5] According to Kent, although LTC Vindman said the "atmospherics" of the conversation was cooler and reserved, LTC Vindman did not mention Vice President Biden's name or anything relating to 2016.[6]
In addition, the Office of the President of Ukraine issued an official statement following the phone call.[7] The official statement also signaled no concern about the call or any indication of coercion, intimidation, or pressure from President Trump. The statement read in full:
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone conversation with President of the United States Donald Trump. President of the United States congratulated Ukraine on successful holding free and
- ↑ Volker transcribed interview, supra note 60, at 102-03.
- ↑ Impeachment Inquiry: Ambassador Kurt Volker and Timothy Morrison, supra note 8.
- ↑ Sondland deposition, supra note 51, at 116.
- ↑ Id.
- ↑ Deposition of George Kent, in Wash., D.C., at 163 (Oct. 15, 2019) [hereinafter "Kent deposition"].
- ↑ Id. at 163-65
- ↑ Press Release, Office of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with President of the United States (July 25, 2019), available at https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/volodimir-zelenskij-provivtelefonnu-rozmovu-z-prezidentom-s-56617.
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