Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Monday commenced a three-day visit to the U.S. amid a controversy over a recent phone call between the Ukrainian leader and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump was alleged to have pressured Zelensky to provide information on possible corruption in 2014 appointment of a son of Trump’s political rival, Joe Biden, to a senior job at a Ukrainian oil and gas company, Burisma.
Biden, who is challenging Trump for the presidency in next year’s election, was vice president when his son Hunter joined Burisma’s board of directors amid a pivotal strengthening of Ukrainian state ties with West, particularly U.S. and EU.
He, however, called for the release of a complete transcript of the July 25 phone call, saying in a statement that, if it is true, Trump was pressuring Zelensky would have amounted to abuse of office.
Zelensky, who was inaugurated four months ago, on promises to root out entrenched corruption in the former Soviet Ukraine, planned to deliver a speech at the UN in New York.
According to a statement by Zelensky’s office, he is expected to meet with Trump during the visit.
Meanwhile, Trump had denounced the phone call controversy as “fake news“ saying on Twitter that the Ukrainian Government just said they were not pressured at all during the call. (dpa/NAN)