Trump-Zelensky scandal seriously damages Ukraine

Ukrainian President Zelensky and US President Trump met on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25. Photo: Reuters

Commenting on the phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko emphasized that Ukraine does not want to be drawn into internal US issues ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

"We have many problems, there is a confrontation with Russia, extremely difficult negotiations, but the least we want is not to be drawn into the internal problems of the United States before its elections," said Mr. Pristayko.

"The unexpected happened, so much so that we were dragged into this story even while the race for the presidency had not yet begun," the Ukrainian foreign minister added.

Regarding the allegations that Ukrainian citizens participated in influencing the US presidential election, the head of the Ukrainian foreign ministry affirmed: "I do not allow this to happen, and I cannot imagine that someone who is a Ukrainian citizen tried to influence, especially in the US election."

Foreign Minister Pristayko said that the Ukrainian government intends to conduct an objective investigation into the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, whose leader is Hunter Biden - the son of former US Vice President Joe Biden, who is considered a rival of President Donald Trump in the upcoming race for the White House.

"This is really seriously damaging for Ukraine. We tried to explain that investigations should be conducted in Burisma or any other companies where there were violations, without government intervention, in order to create fairness," Mr. Pristayko affirmed.