Trump 'traded' aid to Ukraine - Ambassador Bill Taylor's deposition transcript

The U.S. House of Representatives controlled by the Democratic majority on Wednesday released the transcript from the joint deposition of Ambassador William Taylor, Chargé d'Affaires Ad Interim for the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, in the context of the impeachment inquiry into U.S. President Donald Trump.
Rep. Adam B. Schiff, the Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Eliot L. Engel, the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Acting Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued the following statement announcing the release.

"The testimony of Ambassador Taylor – a West Point graduate, Vietnam veteran, and nonpartisan diplomat – shows how President Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine and conditioned its release, as well as a vital White House meeting, on the President of Ukraine publicly announcing investigations into debunked conspiracy theories involving the Bidens and the 2016 election," the statement reads.

The Congressmen said that "Ambassador Taylor's testimony lays bare how this shadow foreign policy channel pursued by the President's agent, Rudy Giuliani, with the assistance of Ambassadors Sondland and Volker, placed immense pressure on the Ukrainian government to accomplish the President's goal."

At the same time, the chairs of the committees noted that Ambassador Taylor made clear why this military aid and continued bipartisan support for Ukraine are so critically important – and why these efforts to undermine U.S. foreign policy for domestic political reasons were so damaging.

"We look forward to his public testimony," they said.