This archive report was first published on 5 October 2019.
On August 28, 2019, Politico reported that the US had frozen military aid to Ukraine. This move sparked concerns among US diplomats that the aid was being withheld in exchange for investigations into Burisma and election meddling.
According to testimony, US diplomat Gordon Sondland texted US diplomat Bill Taylor on September 1, 2019, saying 'Call me.' Taylor had expressed his concerns that the Ukrainians would be asked to commit to investigations in exchange for the White House visit and the release of the aid.
US diplomat Kurt Volker drafted a statement for the Ukrainians to commit to investigations into Burisma and election meddling. However, Ukrainian official Andriy Yermak objected to specifically citing Burisma or 2016 in the statement, saying it could be seen as interfering in the 2020 US elections.
Yermak's initial draft of the statement was a generic commitment to fighting corruption and did not mention Burisma or the 2016 election. However, US President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, pushed for the statement to include specific references to Burisma and 2016, saying it was essential for the Ukrainians to commit to these investigations.
