{"id":8478,"date":"2019-10-23T05:36:02","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T12:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/?p=8478"},"modified":"2019-10-23T05:46:02","modified_gmt":"2019-10-23T12:46:02","slug":"an-envoys-damning-account-of-trumps-ukraine-pressure-and-its-consequences-the-new-york-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/?p=8478","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;An Envoy\u2019s Damning Account of Trump\u2019s Ukraine Pressure and Its Consequences&#8221;, The New York Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By Peter Baker, New Analysis, Oct. 23, 2019<\/p>\n<p><em>William B. Taylor Jr. laid out in visceral terms the potentially life-or-death stakes of what he saw as an illegitimate scheme to pressure Kiev for political help by suspending American security aid.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"css-bsn42l\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"css-11cwn6f\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/22dc-assess3\/22dc-assess-promo-articleLarge-v2.jpg?quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;disable=upscale\" sizes=\"((min-width: 600px) and (max-width: 1004px)) 84vw, (min-width: 1005px) 60vw, 100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/22dc-assess3\/22dc-assess-promo-articleLarge-v2.jpg?quality=90&amp;auto=webp 600w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/22dc-assess3\/22dc-assess-promo-jumbo-v2.jpg?quality=90&amp;auto=webp 1024w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/22dc-assess3\/22dc-assess-promo-superJumbo-v2.jpg?quality=90&amp;auto=webp 2048w\" alt=\"\u201cI and others sat in astonishment,\u201d William B. Taylor Jr., the top diplomat in Ukraine, told lawmakers Tuesday. \u201cThe Ukrainians were fighting the Russians and counted on not only the training and weapons, but also the assurance of U.S. support.\u201d\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><span class=\"css-16f3y1r e13ogyst0\">\u201cI and others sat in astonishment,\u201d William B. Taylor Jr., the top diplomat in Ukraine, told lawmakers Tuesday. \u201cThe Ukrainians were fighting the Russians and counted on not only the training and weapons, but also the assurance of U.S. support.\u201d<\/span><span class=\"emkp2hg2 css-1nwzsjy e1z0qqy90\"><span class=\"css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0\">Credit<\/span>Anna Moneymaker\/The New York Times<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">WASHINGTON \u2014 He stood on one side of a war-damaged bridge in Ukraine staring across at Russian-backed forces and saw the real-world consequences of President Trump\u2019s efforts to advance a personal agenda. \u201cMore Ukrainians,\u201d he said, \u201cwould undoubtedly die.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Recalling that moment during <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/trump-impeachment-ukraine.html?action=click&amp;module=inline&amp;pgtype=Homepage\">explosive testimony on Tuesday<\/a>, William B. Taylor Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine, laid out in visceral terms the stakes of what he saw as an illegitimate scheme to pressure the Kiev government for political help by suspending American security aid.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">In by far <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/william-taylor-testimony.html?module=inline\">the most damning account yet<\/a> to become public in the House impeachment inquiry Mr. Taylor described a president holding up <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/09\/23\/us\/politics\/trump-un-biden-ukraine.html?module=inline\">$391 million in assistance<\/a> for the clear purpose of forcing Ukraine to help incriminate Mr. Trump\u2019s domestic rivals. Mr. Trump\u2019s actions, he testified, undercut American allies desperately fighting off Russia\u2019s attempt to redraw the boundaries of Europe through force.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-o6xoe7\">\n<div class=\"css-ke163a\" data-testid=\"article-companion-wrapper\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-module\" class=\"css-48vsi0\">\n<div class=\"css-1k9ek97\">\n<div class=\"css-tjpxhb\">\n<div class=\"css-sefkcv\">\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cIf Ukraine succeeds in breaking free of Russian influence, it is possible for Europe to be whole, free, democratic and at peace,\u201d Mr. Taylor said in <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/william-taylor-ukraine-testimony.html?module=inline\">his opening statement<\/a> to House investigators, which was provided to reporters after he delivered it behind closed doors. \u201cIn contrast, if Russia dominates Ukraine, Russia will again become an empire, oppressing its people and threatening its neighbors and the rest of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/william-taylor-ukraine-testimony-promo-1571775262338\/william-taylor-ukraine-testimony-promo-1571775262338-articleLarge.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-o6xoe7\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1sngw6j\">\n<div class=\"css-1eoytci\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/william-taylor-ukraine-testimony.html\">Read the Ukraine Envoy\u2019s Statement to Impeachment Inquiry<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1rha1bf\">\n<p class=\"css-1uuihdo\">William B. Taylor Jr., the United States\u2019 top diplomat in Ukraine, delivered testimony to impeachment investigators on Tuesday that described an effort by President Trump to withhold aid for Ukraine until the country\u2019s leader agreed to investigate Mr. Trump\u2019s political rivals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Mr. Taylor\u2019s vivid depiction illustrated the differences between the impeachment inquiry against Mr. Trump and the ones that consumed Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Bill Clinton. While the Watergate and Monica Lewinsky cover-ups involved the integrity of America\u2019s democracy and system of justice, the Ukraine scandal also extends to matters of life and death, as well as geopolitics on a grand scale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Mr. Taylor\u2019s testimony could make it harder for Republicans to brush off Mr. Trump\u2019s actions as unimportant or distorted by partisan rivals. Defending Ukraine against Russian encroachment, much like defending the United States\u2019 Kurdish allies against Turkey, has been a high priority for many Republicans, who complained that President Barack Obama did not stand up to Moscow aggressively enough.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Mr. Taylor brought to the House hearing <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/william-b-taylor-diplomat.html?module=inline\">a 50-year r\u00e9sum\u00e9 of public service<\/a>, starting as a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point and an infantry officer with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. He served every administration, Republican and Democrat, since President Ronald Reagan, culminating with a posting as ambassador to Ukraine under President George W. Bush. And he was recruited last spring by Mike Pompeo, Mr. Trump\u2019s secretary of state to return to Kiev to replace Marie L. Yovanovitch, the ambassador <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/10\/11\/us\/politics\/marie-yovanovitch-trump-impeachment.html?module=inline\">tarred by Mr. Trump\u2019s camp as an adversary<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">The chain of events that Mr. Taylor laid out in his testimony suggested a clear quid pro quo between the $391 million in suspended assistance and Mr. Trump\u2019s demands that Ukraine investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. as well as a debunked conspiracy theory involving Ukrainian help for Democrats in the 2016 election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Yet in the publicly released portion of his testimony, Mr. Taylor neither described any direct conversation with Mr. Trump himself nor made any reference to documents or recordings that would explicitly implicate the president. Instead, he provided a road map for investigators by quoting others around Mr. Trump describing his actions and statements.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cPresident Trump has done nothing wrong \u2014 this is a coordinated smear campaign from far-left lawmakers and radical unelected bureaucrats waging war on the Constitution,\u201d Stephanie Grisham, the White House press secretary, said in a statement. \u201cThere was no quid pro quo. Today was just more triple hearsay and selective leaks from the Democrats\u2019 politically motivated, closed-door, secretive hearings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Mr. Taylor\u2019s testimony once again focused attention on Mr. Trump\u2019s unusual relationship with President Vladimir V. Putin\u2019s Russia. Unlike most leaders in both parties, Mr. Trump has rarely expressed much criticism of Mr. Putin or his aggression against his neighbors, at one point even suggesting that he could accept Russia\u2019s annexation of Crimea, which it seized from Ukraine through force in 2014.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Mr. Trump went further than Mr. Obama by providing lethal military assistance to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia, but privately echoed Mr. Putin\u2019s line about the Ukrainians being untrustworthy and corrupt. By holding up the $391 million in aid allocated by Congress, Mr. Trump essentially reversed his own policy and angered lawmakers of both parties, who finally pressured him into releasing the money last month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Mr. Trump\u2019s decisions benefiting Russia confound Democrats and Republicans alike. Even as Mr. Taylor testified, Mr. Putin hosted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey in Moscow to <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/10\/22\/world\/europe\/erdogan-putin-syria-cease-fire.html?module=inline\">seal an agreement<\/a> in which Russian troops will join Turkish forces to control a swath of northern Syria just abandoned by American-backed Kurdish fighters after <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/10\/07\/us\/politics\/turkey-syria-trump.html?module=inline\">Mr. Trump abruptly abandoned them<\/a>and pulled out United States troops.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/william-taylor-ukraine-testimony.html?module=inline\">In his 14-page opening statement<\/a>, bristling with indignation yet chock-full of dates, facts and quotes, Mr. Taylor on Tuesday described \u201ctwo channels of U.S. policymaking and implementation, one regular and one highly irregular,\u201d <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/09\/28\/us\/politics\/how-a-shadow-foreign-policy-in-ukraine-prompted-impeachment-inquiry.html?module=inline\">run largely by the president\u2019s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani<\/a>, as well as others like Gordon D. Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Mr. Taylor made clear that what he found particularly egregious about the president\u2019s actions was what he regarded as the betrayal of a friend to the not-so-tender mercies of a ruthless invader for corrupt reasons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cUkraine is special to me,\u201d he said, and what has happened in the five months since he was asked to return to Kiev was \u201ccrazy,\u201d \u201cimproper\u201d and \u201cfolly\u201d with far-reaching implications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cWe must support Ukraine in its fight against its bullying neighbor,\u201d he told House investigators. \u201cRussian aggression cannot stand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">He recalled being stunned to learn during a secure video conference call on July 18 that the aid to Ukraine had been delayed with no explanation other than that <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/09\/23\/us\/politics\/trump-un-biden-ukraine.html?module=inline\">\u201cthe directive had come from the president <\/a>to the chief of staff to\u201d the Office of Management and Budget.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cI and others sat in astonishment,\u201d he testified. \u201cThe Ukrainians were fighting the Russians and counted on not only the training and weapons, but also the assurance of U.S. support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">No one told the Ukrainians at first, and Mr. Taylor recalled meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on July 26, the day after <a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/09\/25\/us\/politics\/donald-trump-impeachment-probe.html?module=inline\">Mr. Trump pressed the newly elected Ukrainian leader<\/a> on the telephone to investigate Mr. Biden and the 2016 election conspiracy theory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">After the meeting, Mr. Taylor joined Mr. Zelensky and Kurt D. Volker, the State Department special envoy for Ukraine, on a trip to northern Donbas, the front line of the conflict with Russian-backed separatists, where they were briefed by the commander of Ukrainian forces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cThe commander thanked us for security assistance, but I was aware that this assistance was on hold, which made me uncomfortable,\u201d Mr. Taylor said. \u201cAmbassador Volker and I could see the armed and hostile Russian-led forces on the other side of the damaged bridge across the line of contact. Over 13,000 Ukrainians had been killed in the war, one or two a week. More Ukrainians would undoubtedly die without the U.S. military assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">As weeks went by without a resolution of the aid impasse, Mr. Taylor said he began preparing to resign. His resolve was strengthened when Mr. Sondland and Timothy Morrison, the senior director for European and Russian affairs at the National Security Council, both indicated to him that the aid was conditioned on Ukraine opening the investigations sought by the president.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Mr. Sondland explained that Mr. Trump saw it through a transactional lens. \u201cWhen a businessman is about to sign a check to someone who owes him something, he said, the businessman asks that person to pay up before signing the check,\u201d Mr. Taylor said, quoting Mr. Sondland. Mr. Volker \u201cused the same terms several days later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Before he could resign, congressional leaders intervened and persuaded Mr. Trump to lift the suspension. The aid is now flowing again to Ukraine. And Mr. Taylor still serves as the top diplomat in Kiev. For now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"css-1m50asq\" style=\"color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/22dc-assess2\/merlin_163081278_2c4fe61a-0c43-4a4c-890a-3a582b1e9ee0-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;disable=upscale\" sizes=\"((min-width: 600px) and (max-width: 1004px)) 84vw, (min-width: 1005px) 60vw, 100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/22dc-assess2\/merlin_163081278_2c4fe61a-0c43-4a4c-890a-3a582b1e9ee0-articleLarge.jpg?quality=90&amp;auto=webp 600w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/22dc-assess2\/merlin_163081278_2c4fe61a-0c43-4a4c-890a-3a582b1e9ee0-jumbo.jpg?quality=90&amp;auto=webp 1024w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/politics\/22dc-assess2\/merlin_163081278_2c4fe61a-0c43-4a4c-890a-3a582b1e9ee0-superJumbo.jpg?quality=90&amp;auto=webp 2048w\" alt=\"The testimony Tuesday once again focused attention on President Trump\u2019s unusual relationship with Russia.\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-79elbk\" data-testid=\"photoviewer-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"css-1a48zt4 ehw59r15\" data-testid=\"photoviewer-children\">\n<figure class=\"css-jcw7oy e1g7ppur0\"><figcaption class=\"css-1l44abu e1xdpqjp0\"><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><span class=\"css-16f3y1r e13ogyst0\">The testimony Tuesday once again focused attention on President Trump\u2019s unusual relationship with Russia.<\/span><span class=\"css-vuqh7u e1z0qqy90\"><span class=\"css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0\">Credit<\/span>Anna Moneymaker\/The New York Times<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-g92qtk epkadsg3\">\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/10\/22\/us\/trump-impeachment-ukraine.html?action=click&amp;module=RelatedLinks&amp;pgtype=Article\">The New York Times<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Peter Baker, New Analysis, Oct. 23, 2019 William B. Taylor Jr. laid out in visceral terms the potentially life-or-death stakes of what he saw as an illegitimate scheme to pressure Kiev for political help by suspending American security aid. \u201cI and others sat in astonishment,\u201d William B. Taylor Jr., the top diplomat in Ukraine, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001004,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8478"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1001004"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8478"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8482,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8478\/revisions\/8482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}