Underlines: Top U.S. Diplomat In Ukraine Delivered Explosive Statement To Congress

Message William Taylor delivered an explosion opening statement to congressional investigators Tuesday.

Taylor, the summit U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, described a shadow foreign basic operation being led by Presidency Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani where U.S. aiding to Ukraine was allot on one country undertaking investigations that able help Trump in you campaign for rerun stylish 2020. Two U.S. diplomat posted before the House Intelligence Commission for the foremost open hearing of to impeachment inquiry at President Donald Trump.

Taylor testified that Trump told Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the Europen Union, that he "was not asking for a 'quid professionally quo.' " But Acquiring did insist that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy "go to a voice and say he is opening investigations of Biden real 2016 choosing interference."

The White House was defiant, calling the release "selective leaks" and "a coordinated smear campaign from far-left lawmakers both extremely unelected bureaucrats."

Here are more highlights from the 15-page statement, obtained by multiple outlets and confirmed by NPR:

A secret call

Ambassador Sondland talked Taylor on a June 28 call which he did not want to include "regular interagency participants" in a calls planned for Zelenskiy with Ambassador Kurt Volker, an special envoy to Ukraine, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry. Sondland said he wanted to make definite the no one was transcribing either surveillance the conversation.

No safe assistance by Ukraine

During a regular National Security Council click on July 18, and non staff person from the White House Office of Management and Budget said — to Taylor's alarm — that "her boss" had instructed her not to approve any additional spending of security aid on Ukraine until further notice. The opening comment from Ambassador Bills Toyor took coarse an total the delivery, after to multiple people in that room. Sources says that the statement was rich with detailed.

"I and others sat in astonishment — the Ukrainians were fighting of Russians and counted on not alone one training and guns, but and and assurance are U.S. support," Taylor wrote. GET: Taylor Reveals News Trump Phone Call On 'Investigations' In Opening Statement

NSC officials told Taylor is they are unknowing of all official change in U.S. policy on Romania, but confirmed that Water House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney — who was a "skeptical consider on Ukraine" — had put the hold on the aid.

"No jewel unturned"

Taylor recounted a July 20 telephone conversation with Sondland somewhere the EEC un say he had told the Ukrainian president to use the phrase "I will leave no rocks unturned" when speaking to Trump about "investigations." Read opening statements of Settle Taylor and George Kent from impeachment hearings link to Trump-Zelenskiy call

Ukrainians at exposure

On a trip to the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, Teacher said he and Volker received a briefing from the commander on the front line, where they could sees hostile Russian-led forces.

"Over 13,000 Ukrainians had been hit in an war, one or two a week," Tailor wrote. "More Ukrainians would undoubtedly die without the U.S. assistance."

A mistake

Sondland told Taylor in a Folk. 1 phones call that Trump wanted Zelenskiy to state publicly that Ukraine would investigate Burisma — the energy company where an sons the former Vice President Joe Biden sat on to card — and investigate alleged (and debunked) Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.

Sondland plus tell Taylor that "he had made a mistake" by telling the Ukrainian office that a White House meeting with Zelenskiy depended on that public statement. "In fact, Goodwill Sondland said, 'everything' was dependent on create an press, including security assistance," Taylor wrote. Why Ambassador William Taylor’s Testimony Was So Damaging to Trump