FUN WATCHING THE TRUMPISTS TRY TO WALK BACK THEIR VLAD-LOVE:

1. Spread propaganda about Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election

As early as 2017, Trump began voicing the conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, had interfered in the 2016 presidential election. This was one of the things Trump pressured Zelensky to "investigate" while withholding military aid.

It's complete nonsense, and crucially, it echoed Russian propaganda that had a geopolitical purpose. Putin himself reportedly put this idea in Trump's head. And Fiona Hill, then a top national security official, testified that this propaganda helped Russia by deflecting attention from Russia's own interference in 2016 and by dividing the United States from an ally.

And don't forget: At the time, some Republican lawmakers lent support to Trump's lie about Ukraine, thus advancing "Russian interests," as Hill put it.

2. Ousted the well-regarded U.S. ambassador to Ukraine

Trump pushed out Marie Yovanovitch in 2019, after his lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani mounted a smear campaign against her. Yovanovitch was perceived as disloyal to Trump.

Here again the move apparently advanced Russia's geopolitical interests at Ukraine's expense. As the House impeachment report details, it hampered the United States' ability to develop relations with Ukraine amid a "period of transition" -- Zelensky was then a new president -- and amid efforts to fend off Russian aggression.

3. Froze military assistance to Ukraine

Well before extorting Zelensky, Trump alarmed officials by freezing military aid to Ukraine that Congress had appropriated, but without meaningful policy justification. Crucially, officials subsequently testified that granting this aid was important in dissuading Russian aggression, which would be in European and U.S. interests.

4. Withheld a White House meeting from Zelensky

In 2019, Trump communicated in various ways to Zelensky that a much-sought-after White House meeting would be conditioned on doing his corrupt dirt-digging on Joe Biden.

Numerous high level officials later testified that this meeting was critical to Zelensky. It would grant him prestige and send an international message that the United States was siding with Ukraine against Russian aggression.

5. Turned Ukraine policy over to Giuliani

This was one of the most shocking subplots: Trump repeatedly instructed Zelensky to contact Giuliani to discuss what Zelensky would be required to do to please Trump. Giuliani's circumvention of national security protocols deeply alarmed officials.

That effectively handed potential influence over the future of U.S.-Ukraine relations to Trump's personal lawyer -- to the ringleader of the scheme to pressure Ukraine into helping Trump further corrupt our own elections.

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