This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On September 1, 2019, a meeting between Vice President Mike Pence and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took place in Warsaw. According to Gordon Sondland's updated testimony, he discussed the link between aid and investigations with Andriy Yermak, a top adviser to President Zelensky, on the sidelines of this meeting.
Mr. Sondland stated in his testimony that he believed the resumption of US aid would likely not occur until Ukraine provided a public anticorruption statement, which had been discussed for many weeks.
Mr. Sondland's new testimony also revealed that he believed withholding the aid, a package of $391 million in security assistance approved by Congress, was 'ill-advised.' However, he did not know when, why, or by whom the aid was suspended.
Mr. Sondland stated, 'I presumed that the aid suspension had become linked to the proposed anticorruption statement.'
His updated testimony has sparked controversy, with some Democrats painting him as a lackey of President Trump's who had been an agent of the shadow foreign policy on Ukraine.
