Russia's Putin says 'nothing compromising' in Trump-Zelensky call
October 02, 2019
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday defended US President Donald Trump over accusations that the American leader had pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political rival, saying there was "nothing compromising" in transcripts of the call.
"I see nothing compromising in the conversation between Trump and (Ukrainian leader Volodymyr) Zelensky," Putin said of the phone call that has sparked an impeachment probe in the US.
On September 27, the White House scrambled to "lock down" records of Trump's phone call pressing for Ukraine's interference in next year's US election, an incendiary whistleblower complaint alleged, in the latest episode of an intensifying impeachment drama.
Also read: What we know of the whistle-blower and Trump?
The complaint had capped that stunning week of revelations that put Trump's presidency in jeopardy, with his administration, the Justice Department, and State Department all engulfed in the mushrooming scandal.
It alleged that White House officials said they had likely "witnessed the president abuse his office for personal gain" in the July call with Zelensky. The alleged misconduct centres on Trump urging the Ukrainian leader to investigate the US leader's political rival Joe Biden — prompting the complaint and triggering a congressional impeachment probe.
A downbeat Trump, however, dismissed as a "joke" the grounds laid out for the impeachment inquiry into him, as Democrats stood firm in accusing the US president of a "mafia-style shakedown" of his Ukrainian counterpart.
He attacked Democratic congressperson Adam Schiff, the Democratic lawmaker spearheading the impeachment inquiry on Monday, as congressional committees subpoenaed his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, for documents related to his dealings with Ukraine.
The US president suggested Schiff be arrested for "treason".
The whistle-blower — who says he spoke to at least six US government officials — concluded that Trump was "using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 US election."
"I learned from multiple US officials that senior White House officials had intervened to 'lock down' all records of the phone call, especially the official word-for-word transcript of the call that was produced," he had written.
Read more:
