Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with former President Donald Trump Friday morning and, during a joint press conference, stared emotionless in the distance while the Republican nominee prattled on about what he derided as an “impeachment hoax” at the end of his one term in office.
With the general election less than six weeks away and the nation he leads under the existential threat of a Russian military invasion, Zelenksy appears to be hedging his bets by meeting with Trump, despite the former president’s comments that appear to praise Vladimir Putin and suggest the Russian authoritarian should do whatever the hell they want to a NATO nation that doesn’t contribute to the alliance in a manner Trump sees fit.
The two international figures took questions before they met and were asked what their expectations were, which Trump appeared to see as an opportunity to praise Zelenksy for not ratting him out over a notorious phone call that led to a whistleblower report and Trump’s first impeachment.
Trump said, “When they did the impeachment hoax, a Democrat hoax, which we won, but one of the reasons we won it so easily is when the president was asked – it was over a phone call with the president, and he said — he could have grandstanded and played cute, but he didn’t.”
“He said President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong,” Trump continued. “He said it loud and clear, and the impeachment hoax died there. He could have said well, I don’t know. And I never told you this, to be honest. But he was like a piece of steel!”
Of course, Zelenksy never said that Trump did nothing wrong; that’s his interpretation.
At issue is alleged quid pro quo over the Trump administration withholding congressionally approved military aid (before Putin invaded) and allegations that Trump requested dirt on Biden family dealings in Ukraine, ostensibly as a means to help Trump defeat then-candidate Joe Biden in the 2020 general election. Asking for foreign assistance in a domestic election is a big no-no. Withholding foreign aid as a carrot at the end of the stick is also potentially illegal, even though then acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitted that it happens “all the time.”
In December of 2019, Trump said “If you noticed, there was breaking news today. The Ukrainian president came out and said very strongly that President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong. That should be case over. But he just came out a little while ago and he said President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong. And that should end everything.”
He appears to be referencing a Time magazine interview with Time magazine and three European news outlets published on Dec. 2. Zelensky was asked to “clarify this issue of the quid pro quo.” Zelensky responded by saying he “never talked to the president from the position of a quid pro quo,” and he mildly chastised Trump for temporarily holding up military aid to his country.
“We’re at war,” Zelensky said. “If you’re our strategic partner, then you can’t go blocking anything for us. I think that’s just about fairness. It’s not about a quid pro quo. It just goes without saying.”
Perhaps the distinction between what Trump claims Zelenksy said and what he actually said, is the reason behind his dispassionate and far away stare as the GOP nominee spoke.
Watch above via Fox News.
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