How the Ukraine invasion connects to Trump’s first impeachment — and where the players are now
While Biden hosted Zelenskyy at the White House last fall, Trump allies often point out that the former president didn’t entirely deprive Ukraine of military aid during his tenure — the U.S. did deliver Javelin missiles and other arms, a fact Trump backers cited during his first impeachment trial to blunt Democratic charges of coziness with Russia. But Trump also pushed Zelenskyy to pursue politically motivated investigations that might hurt Biden’s White House bid as Zelenskyy sought more missiles from the United States.
“We are ready to continue to cooperate for the next steps. Specifically we are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United· States for defense purposes,” Zelenskyy said on a July 25, 2019, call, the transcript of which became key evidence in Trump’s first impeachment. Trump replied: “I would like you to do us a favor, though, because our country has been through a lot, and Ukraine knows a lot about it.”
Now Trump is seeking to undercut Biden’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict by portraying himself as better-equipped to handle Moscow. Here’s a look at how other key players in Trump’s first impeachment are operating during the current Ukrainian invasion:
Bill Taylor: Taylor took over as the top U.S. envoy to Ukraine after his predecessor, Marie Yovanovitch, was removed following a conspiracy theory-laden campaign by Trump allies, led by Rudy Giuliani. During the subsequent impeachment probe, Taylor testified to investigators about concerns among Trump’s handpicked advisers that the then-president had tied security aid to demands for an investigation of Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and discredited theories that blamed Ukraine, rather than Russia, for interference in the 2016 election. Recently Taylor has become a frequent presence on national TV analyzing Russia’s incursion into Ukraine and the West’s response.
Rudy Giuliani: Trump’s longtime adviser and lawyer played an integral role in pressuring Ukrainian leaders to investigate Joe Biden, who had just entered the 2020 presidential race. Giuliani aligned himself with pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs and even a Ukrainian lawmaker since deemed by intelligence agencies to be a Russian agent. In recent days, he’s joined the pro-Trump chorus criticizing Biden’s handling of Ukraine.
Mike Pence: Trump pushed his vice president, a key conduit between his administration and Ukraine, to skip Zelenskyy’s inauguration in April 2019, a decision that came as the newly elected Ukrainian president was seeking U.S. recognition to show solidarity against Russia. Pence later met with Zelenskyy in Warsaw, where they discussed Trump’s decision to freeze military assistance. Pence has tangled with Trump in recent months by publicly emphasizing that he had no authority to overturn the 2020 election, but he has also piled on Biden — without mentioning earlier events or his role in the impeachment saga.
Alexander Vindman: A national security adviser who listened in on Trump’s fateful July 2019 call with Zelenskyy, he became one of the key witnesses against Trump during the 2019-2020 impeachment process. He testified that he thought Trump’s call undermined national security by essentially pressuring an ally to help the president’s domestic political fortunes. Vindman was removed from his post shortly after Trump’s first trial; more recently, he sued Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., Giuliani and other close Trump allies, alleging attempted intimidation during the proceedings. Since Russia began its current invasion of Ukraine, Vindman has spoken out in support of Biden’s handling of the conflict.
John Bolton: The former Trump national security adviser refused to testify during the House impeachment investigation, even as other witnesses revealed he sounded grave alarms about Trump’s handling of Ukraine and called Giuliani’s involvement a “hand grenade.” Instead, Bolton waited to offer testimony until just before the Senate trial — as news of his impending book began to circulate — and the GOP-controlled Senate denied his offer. This year, Bolton has begun vocally criticizing Biden’s handling of Ukraine despite having withheld his evidence against Trump during the key moments of the impeachment probe.
