STATEMENT WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD.
THE RECORD. WITH THAT, AMBASSADOR MARIE
YOVANOVITCH, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED
FOR YOUR OPENING STATEMENT.
>> MR. CHAIRMAN, RANKING MEMBER
NUNES, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. >> AMBASSADOR, YOU’LL NEED TO
SPEAK VERY CLOSE TO THE
MICROPHONE.
MICROPHONE. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
START WITH THIS STATEMENT.
TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF TO THE
COMMITTEE, AND TO HIGHLIGHT
PARTS OF MY BIOGRAPHY AND
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. I COME BEFORE YOU AS AN AMERICAN
CITIZEN WHO HAS DEVOTED THE
MAJORITY OF MY LIFE, 33 YEARS,
TO SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY THAT
ALL OF US LOVE.
LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, I ENTERED
THE FOREIGN SERVICE
UNDERSTANDING THAT MY JOB WAS TO
IMPLEMENT THE FOREIGN POLICY
INTERESTS OF THIS NATION AS
DEFINED BY THE PRESIDENT AND
CONGRESS AND TO DO SO REGARDLESS
OF WHICH PERSON OR PARTY WAS IN
POWER.
POWER. I HAD NO AGENDA OTHER THAN TO
PURSUE OUR STATED FOREIGN POLICY
GOALS.
GOALS. MY SERVICE IS AN EXPRESSION OF
GRATITUDE FOR ALL THAT THIS
COUNTRY HAS GIVEN TO ME AND TO
MY FAMILY.
MY FAMILY. MY LATE PARENTS DID NOT HAVE THE
GOOD FORTUNE TO COME OF AGE IN A
FREE SOCIETY.
FREE SOCIETY. MY FATHER FLED THE SOVIETS
BEFORE ULTIMATELY FINDING REFUGE
IN THE UNITED STATES.
MY MOTHER’S FAMILY ESCAPED THE
USSR AFTER THE REVOLUTION AND
SHE GREW UP STATELESS IN NAZI
GERMANY BEFORE, ALSO, EVENTUALLY
MAKING HER WAY TO THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. THEIR PERSONAL HISTORY, MY
PERSONAL HISTORY, GAVE ME BOTH
DEEP GRATITUDE TOWARD THE UNITED
STATES AND GREAT EMPATHY FOR
OTHERS, LIKE THE UKRAINIAN
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE FREE.
I JOINED THE FOREIGN SERVICE
DURING THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION
AND SUBSEQUENTLY SERVED THREE
OTHER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS AS
WELL AS TWO DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTS.
PRESIDENTS. IT WAS MY GREAT HONOR TO BE
APPOINTED TO SERVE AS AN
AMBASSADOR THREE TIMES, TWICE BY
GEORGE W. BUSH AND ONCE BY
BARACK OBAMA.
BARACK OBAMA. THERE IS A PERCEPTION THAT
DIPLOMATS LEAD A COMFORTABLE
LIFE, THROWING DINNER PARTIES IN
FANCY HOMES.
FANCY HOMES. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT SOME OF MY
REALITY.
REALITY. IT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN EASY.
I HAVE MOVED 13 TIMES AND SERVE
IN SEVEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES,
FIVE OF THEM HARDSHIP POSTS.
MY FIRST TOUR WAS MOGADISHU,
SOMALIA.
SOMALIA. AN INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS PLACE
AS THAT COUNTRY’S CIVIL WAR KEPT
GRINDING ON AND THE GOVERNMENT
WAS WEAKENING.
WAS WEAKENING. THE MILITARY TOOK OVER POLICING
FUNCTIONS IN A PARTICULARLY
BRUTAL WAY AND BASIC SERVICES
DISAPPEARED.
DISAPPEARED. SEVERAL YEARS LATER AFTER THE
SOVIET UNION COLLAPSED, I HELPED
OPEN OUR EMBASSY IN UZBEKISTAN.
AS WE WERE ESTABLISHING
RELATIONS WITH A NEW COUNTRY OUR
SMALL EMBASSY WAS ATTACKED BY A
GUNMAN WHO SPRAYED THE EMBASSY
BUILDING WITH GUNFIRE.
I LATER SERVED IN MOSCOW.
IN 1993, DURING THE ATTEMPTED
COUP IN RUSSIA, I WAS CAUGHT IN
CROSSFIRE BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL
AND PARLIAMENTARY FORCES.
IT TOOK US THREE TRIES, ME
WITHOUT A HELMET OR BODY ARMOR,
TO GET INTO A VEHICLE TO GO TO
THE EMBASSY.
THE EMBASSY. WE WENT BECAUSE THE AMBASSADOR
ASKED US TO COME.
WE WENT BECAUSE IT WAS OUR DUTY.
FROM AUGUST, 2016, UNTIL MAY,
2019, I SERVED AS THE U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE.
DURING MY TENURE IN UKRAINE, I
WENT TO THE FRONT LINE
APPROXIMATELY TEN TIMES.
DURING A HOT WAR OF.
TO SHOW THE AMERICAN FLAG, TO
HEAR WHAT WAS GOING ON,
SOMETIMES LITERALLY AS WE HEARD
THE IMPACT OF ARTILLERY, AND TO
SEE HOW OUR ASSISTANCE DOLLARS
WERE BEING PUT TO USE.
I WORKED TO ADVANCE U.S. POLICY,
FULLY EMBRACED BY DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS ALIKE, TO HELP
UKRAINE BECOME A STABLE AND
INDEPENDENT, DEMOCRATIC STATE
WITH A MARKET ECONOMY INTEGRATED
INTO EUROPE.
INTO EUROPE. A SECURE, DEMOCRATIC, AND FREE
UKRAINE SERVES NOT JUST THE
UKRAINIAN PEOPLE BUT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE AS WELL.
THAT’S WHY IT WAS OUR POLICY AND
CONTINUES TO BE OUR POLICY TO
HELP THE UKRAINIANS ACHIEVE
THEIR OBJECTIVES.
THEIR OBJECTIVES. THEY MATCH OUR OBJECTIVES.
THE U.S. IS THE MOST POWERFUL
COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE
WORLD IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF
OUR VALUES.
OUR VALUES. AND OUR VALUES HAVE MADE
POSSIBLE THE NETWORK OF
ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT
BUTTRESSES OUR OWN STRENGTHS.
UKRAINE, WITH AN ENORMOUS LAND
MASS AND A LARGE POPULATION, HAS
THE POTENTIAL TO BE A
SIGNIFICANT COMMERCIAL AND
POLITICAL PARTNER FOR THE UNITED
STATES, AS WELL AS A FORCE
MULLET PLIER
MULLET PLIER MULTIPLIER ON THE SECURITY SIDE.
WE SEE THE POTENTIAL IN UKRAINE.
RUSSIA SEES A CONTRAST, SEES THE
RISK.
RISK. THE HISTORY IS NOT WRITTEN YET.
BUT UKRAINE COULD MOVE OUT OF
RUSSIA’S ORBIT, AND NOW UKRAINE
IS A BATTLEGROUND FOR GREAT
POWER COMPETITION.
POWER COMPETITION. WITH A HOT WAR FOR THE CONTROL
OF TERRITORY AND A HYBRID WAR TO
CONTROL UKRAINE’S LEADERSHIP.
THE U.S. HAS PROVIDED
SIGNIFICANT SECURITY ASSISTANCE
SINCE THE ONSET OF THE WAR
AGAINST RUSSIA IN 2014.
AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
STRENGTHENED OUR POLICY BY
APPROVING THE PROVISION TO
UKRAINE OF ANTITANK MISSILES
KNOWN AS JAVELINS.
SUPPORTING UKRAINE IS THE RIGHT
THING TO DO.
IT’S ALSO THE SMART THING TO DO.
FALLS TO RUSSIAN DOMINION, WE
CAN EXPECT TO SEE OTHER ATTEMPTS
BY RUSSIA TO EXPAND ITS
TERRITORY AND ITS INFLUENCE.
AS CRITICAL AS THE WAR AGAINST
RUSSIA IS, UKRAINE’S STRUGGLING
DEMOCRACY HAS AN EQUALLY
IMPORTANT CHALLENGE -- BATTLING
THE SOVIET LEGACY OF CORRUPTION,
WHICH HAS PERVADED UKRAINE’S
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. CORRUPTION MAKES UKRAINE’S
LEADERS EVER VULNERABLE TO
RUSSIA AND THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND THAT.
UNDERSTAND THAT. THAT’S WHY THEY LAUNCHED THE
REVOLUTION OF DIGNITY IN 2014
DEMANDING TO BE A PART OF
EUROPE.
EUROPE. DEMANDING THE TRANSFORMATION OF
THE SYSTEM.
THE SYSTEM. DEMANDING TO LIVE UNDER THE RULE
OF LAW.
OF LAW. UKRAINIANS WANTED THE LAW TO
APPLY EQUALLY TO ALL PEOPLE,
WHETHER THE INDIVIDUAL IN
QUESTION IS THE PRESIDENT OR ANY
OTHER CITIZEN.
OTHER CITIZEN. IT WAS A QUESTION OF FAIRNESS.
OF DIGNITY.
OF DIGNITY. HERE AGAIN, THERE IS A
COINCIDENCE OF INTERESTS.
CORRUPT LEADERS ARE INHERENTLY
LESS TRUST WORTHY WHILE AN
HONEST AND ACCOUNTABLE UKRAINIAN
LEADERSHIP MAKES A
U.S./UKRAINIAN PARTNERSHIP MORE
RELIABLE AND MORE VALUABLE TO
THE UNITED STATES.
A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD IN THIS
STRATEGICALLY LOCATED COUNTRY
BORDERING FOUR NATO ALLIES
CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH
U.S. BUSINESS CAN MORE EASILY
TRADE, INVEST, AND PROSPER.
CORRUPTION IS ALSO A SECURITY
ISSUE BECAUSE CORRUPT OFFICIALS
ARE VULNERABLE TO MOSCOW.
IN SHORT, IT IS IN AMERICA’S
NATIONAL SECURITY INTEREST TO
HELP UKRAINE TRANSFORM INTO A
COUNTRY WHERE THE RULE OF LAW
GOVERNS AND CORRUPTION IS HELD
IN CHECK.
IN CHECK. IT WAS AND REMAINS A TOP U.S.
PRIORITY TO HELP UKRAINE FIGHT
CORRUPTION AND SIGNIFICANT
PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE SINCE THE
2014 REVOLUTION OF DIGNITY.
UNFORTUNATELY, AS THE PAST
COUPLE OF MONTHS HAVE UNDERLINED
NOT ALL UKRAINIANS EMBRACED OUR
ANTICORRUPTION WORK.
ANTICORRUPTION WORK. THUS, PERHAPS, IT WAS NOT
SURPRISING THAT WHEN OUR
ANTICORRUPTION EFFORTS GOT IN
THE WAY OF A DESIRE FOR PROFIT
OR POWER, UKRAINIANS WHO PREFER
TO PLAY BY THE OLD, CORRUPT
RULES SOUGHT TO REMOVE ME.
WHAT CONTINUES TO AMAZE ME IS
THAT THEY FOUND AMERICANS
WILLING TO PARTNER WITH THEM AND
WORKING TOGETHER THEY APPARENTLY
SUCCEEDED IN ORCHESTRATING THE
REMOVAL OF A U.S. AMBASSADOR.
HOW COULD OUR SYSTEM FAIL LIKE
THIS?
THIS? HOW IS IT THAT FOREIGN, CORRUPT
INTERESTS COULD MANIPULATE OUR
GOVERNMENT?
GOVERNMENT? WHICH COUNTRY’S INTERESTS ARE
SERVED WHEN THE VERY CORRUPT
BEHAVIOR WE HAVE BEEN
CRITICIZING IS ALLOWED TO
PREVAIL?
PREVAIL? SUCH CONDUCT UNDERMINES THE
U.S., EXPOSES OUR FRIENDS, AND
WIDENS THE PLAYING FIELD FOR
AUTOCRATS LIKE PRESIDENT PUTIN.
OUR LEADERSHIP DEPENDS ON THE
POWER OF OUR EXAMPLE AND THE
CONSISTENCY OF OUR PURPOSE.
BOTH HAVE NOW BEEN OPENED TO
QUESTION.
QUESTION. WITH THAT BACKGROUND IN MIND,
I’D LIKE TO BRIEFLY ADDRESS SOME
OF THE FACTUAL ISSUES I EXPECT
YOU MAY WANT TO ASK ME ABOUT,
STARTING WITH MY TIMELINE IN
UKRAINE AND THE EVENTS ABOUT
WHICH I DO AND DO NOT HAVE
FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE.
FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE. I ARRIVED IN UKRAINE ON AUGUST
22nd, 2016.
22nd, 2016. AND LEFT UKRAINE PERMANENTLY ON
MAY 20th, 2019.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EVENTS YOU
ARE INVESTIGATING TO WHICH I
CANNOT BRING ANY FIRST-HAND
KNOWLEDGE.
KNOWLEDGE. THE EVENTS THAT PREDATED BY
UKRAINE SERVICE INCLUDE THE
RELEASE OF THE SO-CALLED BLACK
LEDGER AND MR. MANAFORT’S
SUBSEQUENT RESIGNATION FROM
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN.
AND THE DEPARTURE FROM OFFICE OF
FORMER PROSECUTOR GENERAL
SHOHEN.
SHOHEN. SEVERAL OTHER EVENTS OCCURRED
AFTER I RETURNED FROM UKRAINE.
THESE INCLUDE PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
JULY 25th, 2019 CALL WITH
PRESIDENT ZELENSKY, THE
DISCUSSIONS SURROUNDING THAT
PHONE CALL, AND ANY DISCUSSIONS
SURROUNDING THE DELAY OF
SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE
IN THE SUMMER OF 2019.
AS FOR EVENTS DURING MY TENURE
IN THE UKRAINE, I WANT TO
REITERATE, FIRST, THAT THE
ALLEGATION THAT I DISSEMINATED A
DO NOT PROSECUTE LIST WAS A
FABRICATION.
FABRICATION. MR. LUTSENKO, THE FORMER
UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR GENERAL WHO
MADE THAT ALLEGATION HAS
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE LIST NEVER
EXISTED.
EXISTED. I DID NOT TELL MR. LUTSENKO OR
OTHER UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS WHO
THEY SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT
PROSECUTE.
PROSECUTE. INSTEAD, I ADVOCATED THE U.S.
POSITION THAT RULE OF LAW SHOULD
PREVAIL.
PREVAIL. AND UKRAINIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT,
PROSECUTORS, AND JUDGES SHOULD
STOP WIELDING THEIR POWER
SELECTIVELY AS A POLITICAL
WEAPON AGAINST THEIR ADVERSARIES
AND START DEALING WITH ALL
CONSISTENTLY AND ACCORDING TO
THE LAW.
THE LAW. ALSO UNTRUE ARE UNSOURCED
ALLEGATIONS THAT I TOLD
UNIDENTIFIED EMBASSY EMPLOYEES
OR UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ORDERS SHOULD
BE IGNORED BECAUSE HE WAS GOING
TO BE IMPEACHED OR FOR ANY OTHER
REASON.
REASON. I DID NOT AND I WOULD NOT SAY
SUCH A THING.
SUCH STATEMENTS WOULD BE
INCONSISTENT WITH MY TRAINING AS
A FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER AND MY
ROLE AS AN AMBASSADOR.
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION DID NOT
ASK ME TO HELP THE CLINTON
CAMPAIGN OR HARM THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. NOR WOULD I HAVE TAKEN ANY SUCH
STEPS IF THEY HAD.
PARTISANSHIP OF THIS TYPE IS NOT
COMPATIBLE WITH THE ROLE OF A
CAREER FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER.
I HAVE NEVER MET HUNTER BIDEN
NOR HAVE I HAD ANY DIRECT OR
INDIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM.
AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE MET FORMER
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN SEVERAL
TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF OUR
MANY YEARS IN GOVERNMENT
SERVICE, NEITHER HE NOR THE
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION EVER
RAISED THE ISSUE OF EITHER
BARISMA OR HUNTER BIDEN WITH ME.
WITH RESPECT TO MAYOR GUILIANI,
I HAVE HAD ONLY MINIMAL CONTACT
WITH HIM, A TOTAL OF THREE.
NONE RELATED TO THE EVENTS AT
ISSUE.
ISSUE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND MR.
GUILIANI’S MOTIVES FOR ATTACKING
ME NOR CAN I OFFER AN OPINION ON
WHETHER HE BELIEVED THE
ALLEGATIONS HE SPREAD ABOUT ME.
CLEARLY, NO ONE AT THE STATE
DEPARTMENT DID.
DEPARTMENT DID. WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT MR.
GUILIANI SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THOSE
CLAIMS WERE SUSPECT COMING AS
THEY REPORTEDLY DID FROM
INDIVIDUALS WITH QUESTIONABLE
MOTIVES AND REQUEST REASON TO
BELIEVE THAT THEIR POLITICAL AND