Congressman John Ratcliffe is disingenuous to say that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s comments prove that President Trump’s conduct towards Ukraine was entirely acceptable.
Ratcliffe noted on Wednesday that Zelensky “told ABC News and the BBC, I’m against corruption, this was not corruption. It was just a call. The Ukrainian president stood in front of the world press and repeatedly, consistently, over and over again, interview after interview, said he had no knowledge of military aid being withheld. Meaning no quid pro quo, no pressure, no demands, no threats, no blackmail, nothing corrupt … that was his direct testimony.”
Sounds good, right? Sounds like proof that Trump was simply acting in good faith to address corruption in his July 25 phone call with Zelensky.
But Ratcliffe’s words are a gross misrepresentation of reality.
For a start, whether you believe Trump behaved acceptably or unacceptably in his dealings with Ukraine, it’s already obvious that Trump did put pressure on Zelensky. In the transcript of the July 25 call, Trump explicitly asks Zelensky for “a favor” to reinvestigate Burisma Holdings and to assist in the investigation of a supposed Ukrainian government conspiracy to defeat Trump. In the context of military aid, that favor must be regarded as pressure.
But the key point is that any Ukrainian president who cares about improving his nation’s defense and strengthening its international influence cannot afford to alienate the American president. Zelensky has no choice but to say Trump has always behaved appropriately.
To do otherwise would be to risk Ukraine’s access to critical American support. Zelensky needs America at his side because he has few other allies. The European Union is increasingly deferential to Vladimir Putin on Ukraine. Only America has the power and potential willingness to provide Zelensky with the support he needs to defend Ukrainian interests.
This is not to say that Trump’s record on Ukraine would give Zelensky grounds to doubt his support. Until this summer, the Trump administration provided far greater assistance to Ukraine than the Obama administration had ever provided. And Democrats are attempting to muddy the waters by presenting hearsay as established fact in these impeachment proceedings.
But to say that Zelensky’s defense of Trump’s conduct is somehow proof of Trump’s innocence is absurd. Russia’s military and intelligence services are at Zelensky’s doorstep, and Trump is his only defender. He cannot afford to alienate the president. So he must and will do everything he can to ensure Trump’s continued support.
