Zelensky doesn't see corruption component, law violations in his conversation with Trump
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky does not see a corruption component in his telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. He said he did not violate Ukrainian law, adding that his comments of Trump's words could be construed as interference in U.S. domestic politics.
During a conversation at a press marathon in Kyiv on Thursday, answering questions from an American journalist whether he as a person who positions himself as a fighter against corruption, sees the corruption component in Trump's request to investigate the Burisma case, which includes former vice U.S. President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, he said: "In this case, I think it was not corruption ... I said that we are not corrupt [regarding the Burisma investigation], that we are open to investigating all cases, and we we'll do it according to the law."
Zelensky emphasized that there is no corruption component in his answers to Trump.
"I think that I did not break the law, first of all, the law of Ukraine. I would like that what Mr. Trump said will be judged by the laws of the United States of America, and not by me, as the president of Ukraine. Because if I, as president of Ukraine, comment the conversation with Mr. Trump, it will be primarily interference in your [American] legislative system, interference in your future elections, which means there will be interference in the electoral process, which will become opaque and dependent because of me," Zelensky said.
Answering a clarifying question that Trump's words and actions that it is necessary to investigate the Burisma case were corruption-related, the head of state said: "I should not judge the actions of another president. His actions are governed by the laws of another independent country ... I do not want to comment on the legality of the actions of the president of another country."
"I did not feel pressure and influence," Zelensky said.
Commenting on the words about the new Prosecutor General, who is 100% his man, Zelensky noted that there was an inaccuracy in the translation and he meant that Ruslan Riaboshapka is a man from the president's team, and he believes that the new Prosecutor General will be able to objectively and independently investigate all criminal proceedings, including those related in one way or another to Burisma's work.