国际英语资讯:U.S. House committees seek Ukraine-related documents from Vice President Pence_时事

国际英语资讯:U.S. House committees seek Ukraine-related documents from Vice President Pence

The committees requested from Pence all documents and communications related to Trump's April 21 and July 25 phone calls with Zelensky.

They also asked Pence to hand in records on meetings with former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker, who resigned on Sept. 27 under pressure from Congress, as well as with U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and Ukrainian officials.

Furthermore, the panels asked Pence for documents related to his own call with Zelensky on Sept. 18, and anything he knew about Washington withholding military aid from Kiev.

Volker testified behind closed doors Thursday before House lawmakers, during which he provided text messages involving Trump administration officials -- including Volker himself and Sondland -- and Ukrainian officials. The messages revealed the extent to which the Trump administration pressured Ukraine before and after the July 25 presidential phone call.

Trump on Aug. 29 announced his decision to cancel a planned trip to Warsaw, Poland, and instead let Pence travel in his place. On the following day, Volker and Sondland discussed an alternative plan to let Pence meet Zelensky in Poland on behalf of Trump, according to the document Volker provided to Congress.

In addition, the whistleblower complaint, a redacted version of which has been released by the House Intelligence Committee, claimed that "on or around 14 May, the President instructed Vice President Pence to cancel his planned travel to Ukraine to attend President Zelenskyy's inauguration on 20 May." The whistleblower used an alternative spelling of the Ukrainian president's last name.