In the public impeachment hearings on November 21, 2019, Val Demings (D-FL) asked Fiona Hill to describe the stakes of American policy and conduct regarding Ukraine. Hill's answer included perhaps the most concise reason why the impeachment of Donald Trump is deserved and vital to the United States.
I threatened. I delivered.
Here's the entire question and answer from the CSPAN video (starts at 6:37:40) https://www.c-span.org/video/?466380-1/impeachment-inquiry-hearing-fiona-hill-david-holmesDEMINGS: Dr. Hill, why do you believe that the ENTIRE Ukraine policy community were unanimously in agreement? (with providing aid to Ukraine)
HILL: Well, we had this experience before, and I just want you to indulge me for a moment. in 2008, Russia also attacked the country of Georgia. I was the national intelligence officer at that particular juncture and we had warned In multiple documents to the highest levels of government that we believed there was a real risk of a conflict between Georgia and Russia and in fact we also believed at that point that Russian might attack Ukraine. This was in 2008 when both Georgia and Ukraine sought a membership action plan in NATO and Russia threatened them openly that if they proceeded with their request for NATO membership that there would be consequences. In the wake of the attack on Georgia, President Putin made it clear to the President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili at the time -- and this was made clear to me at the highest levels of the Georgian government -- that Putin had said directly to Saakashvili,
Your western allies - your western partners - promised a great deal. They didn't deliver. I threatened. I delivered.
We had made all kinds of promises to Georgia and Ukraine in that time frame and we didn't come through. So Putin is always looking out to see if there is ANY hint that we will not follow through on promises that we have made because he will always follow through on a threat. As indeed he ultimately did. He threatened Ukraine in 2008 and it wasn't until 2014 when Ukraine tried to conclude an association agreement with the EU that he struck but he had been threatening this for the whole period since 2008.
Do chills go down your spine as you read those words? Do you think there is any illusion on the part of our national security and diplomatic professionals about who we are dealing with in the person of Vladmir Putin?
THAT is why the ENTIRE foreign policy establishment felt delivery of aid to Ukraine was not only in the vital interest of UKRAIN but the UNITED STATES. Providing the aid bolstered a key budding ally at risk of being crushed by Russia and would help underline America's commitments to help European allies counteract Russian bullying throughout the region.
And THAT is why this response in Hill's testimony is the most salient justification for the impeachment and conviction and removal of Donald Trump.
It's not just the fact that Trump made a tactical foreign policy decision that many disagree with.
It's not just the fact that Trump added chaos to confusion by involving a personal attorney in public policy setting and execution without accountability.
It's not just the fact that Trump publicly undermined a US ambassador who should have been simply instructed to return to the United States if it was no longer the President's pleasure for her to continue.
It's not just the fact that Trump froze the disbursement of funds duly authorized by Congress.
It's not just the fact that Trump ignored TWO certifications from the Department of Defense that Ukraine HAD made satisfactory progress in combating corruption when freezing the aid.
It's not just the fact that Trump's actions served to distract the US Ambassador to the European Union from focusing on critical issues in that portfolio, like, ohhhh, I don't know…. Syrian refugee crises in multiple countries, BREXIT!
It's not just the fact that Trump ignored TWO certifications from the Department of Defense that Ukraine HAD made satisfactory progress in combatting corruption when freezing the aid.
It's not just the fact that Trump did all this in pursuit of something that would have benefited him personally. At this point, self-dealing is as much of an every day thing in the Trump Administration as a cheeseburger and fries for breakfast.
It's the fact that that any personal benefit to Trump in this fiasco involved HIS upcoming 2020 election which involves OUR vote and OUR democracy. And the fact that foreign election meddling is a clear crime which has already sent a multitude of Trump associates to prison.
It's the fact that Trump's self-deal applied ENORMOUS economic, military and political pressure on a country that WANTS to stand up to Putin and protect its sovereignty.
And it is the fact that the ONLY player who BENEFITS from EVERY single ricochet of this scandal throughout the entire world is Vladmir Putin. Putin benefits if America sweats Ukraine on the timing of the aid and weapons and Ukraine feels compromised while negotiating with Russia on the fate of Crimea. Putin benefits if Ukraine proceeds with publicizing a corruption investigation of a bogus crime because it makes Ukraine look weak and subservient and sows confusion about Russia's hacking role. Putin benefits if the public investigation turns up enough smoke to implode Biden's campaign and helps re-elect Trump to do four more years of Putin's bidding. Putin benefits if the entire public investigation implodes into a nothing-burger making both Ukraine and America look like banana republics.
Now how did we wind up here?
Isn't that the damndest thing about this President? All roads lead to Putin.
WTH
