CNN host Fareed Zakaria responded Sunday to a report from the New York Times that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was set to announce investigations into the 2016 election and the Bidens on his CNN show, prior to the Trump-Ukraine scandal and subsequent impeachment inquiry bursting into public view.
Context: The Times reports that Zelensky had been prepared to announce the probes on Zakaria's show on Sept. 13, succumbing to a months-long pressure campaign led by Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani. When the Trump administration released nearly $400 million in military aid amid outcry from senators and the initiation of an investigation by House Democrats, Zelensky's office reportedly canceled the interview.
Why it matters: The question of whether the aid was used as leverage to pressure Zelensky into announcing the investigations is at the heart of the impeachment inquiry.
- Top Ukraine diplomat Bill Taylor testified last week that Trump wanted Zelensky in a "public box," telling the House Intelligence Committee: "Trump through Ambassador Sondland was asking for Zelensky to very publicly commit to these investigations. It was not sufficient to do this in private, that this needed to be a very public statement."
- Taylor also testified that Zelensky and his aides believed it was a bad idea to interfere in U.S. elections, but that the Ukrainian president was still planning to go on CNN to announce the investigations Trump wanted.
What to watch: Zakaria noted that he is still hoping to do an interview with Zelensky, whom he described as "smart, energetic and with a much sharper feel for politics" than one may have expected.
Go deeper: Sen. Chris Murphy says Ukraine won't admit pressure because of reliance on U.S.
