WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday insisted his controversial phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky involved "no pressure" on the latter, one day after House Democrats revealed text messages showing Trump administration officials pressed the Ukrainian authorities to investigate the president's political rivals prior to the call.
Trump claimed in a Friday morning tweet that he as president has an "obligation" to end corruption, "even if that means requesting the help of a foreign country or countries."
"This has NOTHING to do with politics or a political campaign against the Bidens. This does have to do with their corruption!" he added.
The president's tweet followed the release late Thursday by three House committees of text messages involving Trump administration and Ukrainian government officials, suggesting that in the lead-up to the Trump-Zelensky phone conversation, Washington pressured Kiev to look into alleged 2016 election interference, as well as a corruption case against a Ukrainian company that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden worked for.
The texts were provided by former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker, who resigned on Sept. 27 following a congressional subpoena asking for his and another four State Department officials' deposition. Volker testified behind closed doors Thursday before House lawmakers.
In an exchange dated Aug. 28, Ukrainian presidential adviser Andrey Yermak shared with Volker a media report of the United States withholding military assistance to Ukraine and raised his concerns over the decision to the U.S. diplomat.
Trump has said the reason for the delay of the aid, which has already been given to Ukraine now, was because European countries haven't paid their fair share to help the Eastern European country defend itself.
"These text messages reflect serious concerns raised by a State Department official about the detrimental effects of withholding critical military assistance from Ukraine, and the importance of setting up a meeting between President Trump and the Ukrainian President without further delay," the chairmen of House intelligence, oversight and reform and foreign affairs committees said in a statement to which the text messages were attached.
"This is not normal or acceptable. It is unethical, unpatriotic, and wrong," the chairmen said. "American Presidents should never press foreign powers to target their domestic political rivals. Engaging in these stunning abuses in broad daylight does not absolve President Trump of his wrongdoings-or his grave offenses against the Constitution."
Trump in a separate tweet Friday quoted the headline of a Washington Times report as saying Republicans at the Volker hearing "find no Trump Pressure," while reiterating that Zelensky "strongly stated that NO pressure was put on him."
As part of the ongoing impeachment inquiry into Trump, the three committees are expected to issue a subpoena to the White House requesting Ukraine-related records. Trump told reporters Thursday that he would leave it to his lawyers to decide whether to comply with the forthcoming subpoena.
