U.S. diplomat Sondland says he followed president's orders on Ukraine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. diplomat who is a key witness in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he worked with Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine issues on “the President’s orders.”

Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, said in prepared remarks to the investigation that Giuliani’s efforts to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for investigations into Trump’s political rivals “were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit” for the Ukrainian leader. Quid pro quo is a Latin term meaning a favor exchanged for a favor.

Sondland, a wealthy hotel entrepreneur and Trump donor, said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was aware and “fully supportive” of their efforts on Ukraine.

Sondland was appearing before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, which is taking the lead in the impeachment inquiry that threatens Trump’s presidency.

The inquiry focuses on a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to carry out two investigations that would benefit him politically including one targeting Democratic political rival Joe Biden. The other involved a debunked conspiracy theory embraced by some Trump allies that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 U.S. election.

Ahead of his request that Zelenskiy carry out the two investigations, Trump had frozen $391 million in U.S. security aid approved by Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country.

Democrats have accused Trump of using the frozen aid and Zelenskiy’s desire for an Oval Office meeting as leverage to pressure a vulnerable U.S. ally to dig up dirt on political adversaries. Trump is seeking re-election next year.