WASHINGTON 22 Oct (ANA) - US legislators conducting an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump will hear on Tuesday from the top US official in Ukraine, who once said it was "crazy" to withhold military aid for the country for domestic political reasons.

 

William Taylor, a former army officer and career US diplomat now leading the United States embassy in Kiev, will be the latest in a series of current and former officials to meet behind closed doors with the Democratic-led House of Representatives Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight Committees in the month since the probe began.

 

Committee members and staff are examining whether the Republican Trump abused his office by improperly putting pressure on Ukraine to launch an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival and leading candidate for the Democratic 2020 presidential nomination.

 

Taylor's testimony is of particular interest to investigators because of his leading role at the embassy in Ukraine.

 

He raised concerns about military assistance being withheld from Kiev to put pressure on Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

 

The investigation was largely prompted by a whistle-blower's report that Trump may have pressured Zelensky to investigate the Bidens in a July 25 telephone call.

 

Taylor mentioned his concern on September 9 to Kurt Volker, the state department's former special envoy to Ukraine, and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, in a text message provided to investigators and later made public.(ANA)

FA/ANA/22 October 2019--------