STATEMENT. I’D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> MR. CHAIRMAN, RANKING
MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE
PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON
INTELLIGENCE WITH RESPECT TO THE
ACTIVITIES RELATING TO UKRAINE
AND MY ROLE IN THE EVENTS UNDER
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. I’VE DEDICATED MY ENTIRE
PROFESSIONAL LIFE TO THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA.
FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES IT HAS
BEEN MY HONOR TO SERVE AS AN
OFFICER IN THE UNITED STATES
ARMY, AS AN INFANTRY OFFICER I
SERVED MULTIPLE OVERSEAS TOURS,
INCLUDING SOUTH KOREA AND
GERMANY, AND I WAS DEPLOYED TO
IRAQ FOR COMBAT OPERATIONS.
SINCE 2008 I HAVE BEEN A FOREIGN
AREA OFFICER SPECIALIZING IN
EURASIA, AND I SERVED IN
EMBASSIES IN KIEV AND MOSCOW,
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. IN WASHINGTON, D.C., I WAS THE
POLITICAL AFFAIRS OFFICER FOR
RUSSIA FOR THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF WHERE I
DRAFTED THE ARMED GLOBAL
CAMPAIGN TO COUNTER RUSSIA AND
RUSSIA MALIGNED INFLUENCE.
IN JULY 2018 I WAS ASKED TO
SERVE AT THE WHITE HOUSE
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL.
AT THE NSC, I’M THE PRINCIPAL
ADVISER TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER ON UKRAINE AND OTHER
COUNTRIES IN MY PORTFOLIO.
MY ROLE AT THE NSC IS TO
DEVELOP, COORDINATE AND
IMPLEMENT PLANS AND POLICIES TO
MANAGE THE FULL RANGE OF
DIPLOMATIC INFORMATIONAL
DIPLOMATIC INFORMATIONAL MILITARY AND ECONOMIC NATIONAL
SECURITY ISSUES OF THE COUNTRIES
IN MY PORTFOLIO.
MY CORE FUNCTION IS TO
COORDINATE POLICY WITH
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES.
THE COMMITTEE HAS HEARD FROM
MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT THE
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF UKRAINE
AS A BULWORK.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW,
PROMOTING UKRAINE PROSPERITY, A
FREE AND DEMOCRATIC UKRAINE
AGAINST RUSSIAN HAS BEEN
STRATEGY ACROSS VARIOUS
ADMINISTRATIONS, BOTH DEMOCRATIC
AND REPUBLICAN AND PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY’S ELECTION IN APRIL
2019 CREATED AN UNPRECEDENTED
OPPORTUNITY TO REALIZE OUR
STRATEGY -- A STRATEGIC
OBJECTIVE.
OBJECTIVE. IN THE SPRING OF 2019 I BECAME
AWARE OF TWO DISRUPTIVE ACTORS,
PRIMARILY UKRAINE’S THEN
PROSECUTOR LUTSENKO AND MAYOR
RUDY GIULIANI, THE PRESIDENT’S
PERSONAL ATTORNEY, PROMOTEING
FALSE NARRATIVES THAT UNDERMINED
THE U.S./UKRAINE POLICY.
THE NSC AND INTERAGENCY
DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE STATE
DEPARTMENT, GREW INCREASINGLY
CONCERNED ABOUT SUCH INFORMATION
WAS HAVING ON OUR COUNTRY’S
ABILITY TO ACHIEVE THE NATIONAL
SECURITY OBJECTIVES.
SECURITY OBJECTIVES. ON APRIL 21, 2019, VOLODYMYR
ZELENSKY WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT
OF UKRAINE IN A LANDSLIDE
VICTORY ON UNITY REFORM AND
ANTI-CORRUPTION PLATFORM.
ANTI-CORRUPTION PLATFORM. PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLED PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY ON APRIL 21, 2019 TO
CONGRATULATE HIM ON HIS VICTORY.
I WAS THE STAFF OFFICER WHO
PRODUCED THE CALL MATERIALS AND
WAS ONE OF THE STAFF OFFICERS
WHO LISTENED TO THE CALL.
THE CALL WAS POSITIVE AND
PRESIDENT TRUMP EXPRESSED HIS
DESIRE TO WORK WITH PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY AND EXTENDED AN
INVITATION TO VISIT THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. IN MAY I ATTENDED THE
INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY AS PART OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATION LED BY
SECRETARY PERRY.
SECRETARY PERRY. FOLLOWING THE VISIT, THE MEMBERS
OF THE DELEGATION PROVIDED
PRESIDENT TRUMP A DEBRIEFING
OFFERING A POSITIVE ASSESSMENT
OF PRESIDENT ZELENSKY AND HIS
TEAM.
TEAM. AFTER THIS DEBRIEFING, PRESIDENT
TRUMP SIGNED A CONGRATULATORY
LETTER TO PRESIDENT ZELENSKY AND
EXTENDED ANOTHER INVITATION TO
VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE.
ON JULY 10, 2019, UKRAINE’S
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER WHO
VISITED WASHINGTON, D.C., FOR A
MEETING WITH NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER BOLTON.
ADVISER BOLTON. AMBASSADOR VOLKER AND
SONDLAND -- AMBASSADORS VOLKER,
SONDLAND AND SECRETARY RICK
PERRY ALSO ATTENDED THE MEETING
I ATTENDED WITH DR. HALE.
WE FULLY ANTICIPATED THE
UKRAINIANS WOULD RAISE THE ISSUE
OF A MEETING BETWEEN THE
PRESIDENTS.
PRESIDENTS. AMBASSADOR BOLTON CUT THE
MEETING SHORT WHEN AMBASSADOR
SONDLAND STARTED TO SPEAK ABOUT
THE REQUIREMENT THAT UKRAINE
DELIVER SPECIFIC INVESTIGATIONS
IN ORDER TO SECURE THE MEETING
WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP.
FOLLOWING THIS MEETING, THERE
WAS A SHORT DEBRIEFING DURING
WHICH AMBASSADOR SONDLAND
EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF
UKRAINE DELIVERING THE
INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE 2016
ELECTIONS, THE BIDENS AND
BURISMA.
BURISMA. I STATED TO AMBASSADOR SONDLAND
THAT THIS WAS INAPPROPRIATE AND
HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH NATIONAL
SECURITY.
SECURITY. DR. HILL ALSO ASSERTED HIS
COMMENTS WHEN PROPER.
AFTERWARDS, DR. HALE AND I
AGREED TO REPORT IT TO JOHN
EISENBERG.
EISENBERG. ON JULY 21, 2019, PRESIDENT
ZELENSKY WON A PARLIAMENTARY
ELECTION IN ANOTHER LANDSLIDE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. ON JULY 25th, 2019, THE CALL
OCCURRED.
OCCURRED. I LISTENED IN ON THE CALL IN THE
SITUATION ROOM WITH WHITE HOUSE
COLLEAGUES.
COLLEAGUES. I WAS CONCERNED BY THE CALL.
WHAT I HEARD WAS INAPPROPRIATE
AND I REPORTED MY CONCERNS TO
MR. EISENBERG.
MR. EISENBERG. IT IS IMPROPER FOR THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES TO DEMAND A
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATE A
U.S. CITIZEN AND A POLITICAL
OPPONENT.
OPPONENT. I WAS ALSO CLEAR THAT IF UKRAINE
PURSUED AN INVESTIGATION, IT WAS
ALSO CLEAR THAT IF UKRAINE
PURSUED AN INVESTIGATION INTO
THE 2016 ELECTIONS, THE BIDENS
AND BURISMA, IT WOULD BE
INTERPRETED AS A PARTISAN PLAY.
THIS WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY RESULT IN
UK LOSING BIPARTISAN SECURITY
AND ADVANCING RUSSIA’S
STRATEGYTIC OBJECTIVES IN THE
REGION.
REGION. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE TO THE
COMMITTEE THAT WHEN I REPORTED
MY CONCERNS ON JULY 10th
RELATING TO AMBASSADOR SONDLAND
AND THEN JULY 25th RELATING TO
THE PRESIDENT, I DID SO OUT OF A
SENSE OF DUTY.
I PRIVATELY REPORTED MY CONCERNS
IN OFFICIAL CHANNELS TO THE
PROPER AUTHORITY IN THE CHAIN OF
COMMAND.
COMMAND. MY INTENT WAS TO RAISE THESE
CONCERNS BECAUSE THEY HAD
SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL SECURITY
IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR COUNTRY.
I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I’D BE
SITTING HERE TESTIFYING IN FRONT
OF THIS COMMITTEE AND THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT MY
ACTIONS.
ACTIONS. WHEN I REPORTED MY CONCERNS, MY
ONLY THOUGHT WAS TO ACT PROPERLY
AND TO CARRY OUT MY DUTY.
FOLLOWING EACH OF MY REPORTS TO
MR. EISENBERG, I IMMEDIATELY
RETURNED TO WORK TO ADVANCE THE
PRESIDENT’S AND OUR COUNTRY’S
FOREIGN POLICY OBJECTIVES.
I FOCUSED ON WHAT I HAVE DONE
THROUGHOUT MY MILITARY CAREER,
PROMOTING AMERICA’S NATIONAL
SECURITY INTERESTS.
SECURITY INTERESTS. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO
RECOGNIZE THE COURAGE OF MY
COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE APPEARED AND
ARE SCHEDULED TO APPEAR BEFORE
THIS COMMITTEE.
THIS COMMITTEE. I WANT TO SAY THAT THE CHARACTER
ATTACKS ON THESE DISTINGUISHED
AND HONORABLE PUBLIC SERVANTS
AND REPREHENSIBLE.
AND REPREHENSIBLE. IT IS NATURAL TO DISAGREE AND
ENGAGE IN SPIRITED DEBATE, AND
THIS HAS BEEN THE CUSTOM OF OUR
COUNTRY SINCE THE TIME OF OUR
FOUNDING FATHERS, BUT WE ARE
BETTER THAN PERSONAL ATTACKS.
THE UNIFORM I WEAR TODAY IS THAT
OF A UNITED STATES ARMY -- IS
THAT OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
THE MEMBERS OF OUR ALL-VOLUNTEER
FORCE ARE MADE UP OF A PATCH
WORK OF PEOPLE FROM ALL
ETHNICITIES, REGIONS,
ETHNICITIES, REGIONS, SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS WHO
COME TOGETHER UNDER A COMMON
OATH TO PROTECT AND DEFENDS THE
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA.
WE DO NOT SERVE ANY POLITICAL
PARTY.
PARTY. WE SERVE THE NATION.
I AM HUMBLED TO COME BEFORE YOU
TODAY AS ONE OF MANY WHO SERVE
IN THE MOST DISTINGUISHED AND
ABLE MILITARY IN THE WORLD.
THE ARMY IS THE ONLY PROFESSION
I HAVE EVER KNOWN.
AS A YOUNG MAN I DECIDED I
WANTED TO SPEND MY LIFE SERVING
THIS NATION THAT GAVE MY FAMILY
REFUGE FROM AUTHORITARIAN
OPPRESSION.
OPPRESSION. FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS IT HAS
BEEN AN HONOR TO REPRESENT AND
PROTECT THIS GREAT COUNTRY.
NEXT MONTH WILL MARK 40 YEARS
SINCE MY FAMILY ARRIVED IN THE
UNITED STATES AS REFUGEES.
WHEN MY FATHER WAS 47 YEARS OLD,
HE LEFT BEHIND HIS ENTIRE LIFE
AND THE ONLY HOME HE HAD EVER
KNOWN TO START OVER IN THE
UNITED STATES SO HIS THREE SONS
COULD HAVE A BETTER AND SAFER
LIVES.
LIVES. HIS COURAGEOUS DECISION INSPIRED
A DEEP SENSE OF GRATITUDE IN MY
BROTHERS AND MYSELF AND
INSTILLED IN US A SENSE OF DUTY
AND SERVICE.
AND SERVICE. ALL THREE OF US HAVE SERVED OR
ARE CURRENTLY SERVING IN THE
MILITARY.
MILITARY. MY LITTLE BROTHER SITS BEHIND ME
HERE TODAY.
HERE TODAY. OUR COLLECTIVE MILITARY SERVICE
IS A SPECIAL PART OF OUR
FAMILY’S HISTORY, A STORY IN
AMERICA.
AMERICA. I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT MY SIMPLE
ACT OF APPEARING HERE TODAY,
JUST LIKE THE COURAGE OF MY
COLLEAGUES, WHO HAVE ALSO
TRUTHFULLY TESTIFIED BEFORE THIS
COMMITTEE, WOULD NOT BE
TOLERATED IN MANY PLACES AROUND
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. IN RUSSIA, MY ACT OF EXPRESSING
CONCERN TO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND
IN AN OFFICIAL AND PRIVATE
CHANNEL, WOULD HAVE SEVERE
PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL
PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL REPERCUSSIONS AND OFFERING
PUBLIC TESTIMONY INVOLVING THE
PRESIDENT WOULD SURELY COST ME
MY LIFE.
MY LIFE. I’M GRATEFUL TO MY FATHER -- FOR
MY FATHER’S BRAVE ACT OF HOPE 40
YEARS AGO AND FOR THE PRIVILEGE
OF BEING AN AMERICAN SIT SGRENCI
PUBLIC SERVANT WHERE I CAN LIVE
FREE FEAR FOR MY AND MY FAMILY’S
SAFETY.
SAFETY. DAD, I’M SITTING HERE TODAY IN
THE U.S. CAPITOL TALKING TO OUR
ELECTED PROFESSIONALS, TALKING
TO OUR ELECTED PROFESSIONALS IS
PROOF YOU MADE THE RIGHT
DECISION 40 YEARS AGO TO LEAVE
THE SOVIET UNION AND COME TO THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN
SEARCH OF A BETTER LIFE FOR OUR
FAMILY.
FAMILY. DO NOT WORRY.