Ukraine official warns involving nation in US domestic politics could harm relations

A top official in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration is warning that attempts to include the country in U.S. domestic affairs would be harmful to relations between the countries.

Oleksandr Danylyuk, the top official of the body responsible for coordinating national security in Ukraine, told Reuters on Monday that the nation would like to stay out of any disputes in Washington and said the government was more interested in maintaining its trustful relationship with the U.S.

{mosads}“Understanding the importance of Ukraine’s support in the context of everything that’s going on in our region, any attempts to use Ukraine by one party or the other is clearly detrimental to our relations,” he said.

The comments come as President Trump is embroiled in a controversy over a report that a whistleblower complained about his interactions with the Ukrainian president in a phone call.

Trump is reportedly said to have repeatedly pressured Zelensky to open an investigation into 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son. 

The revelations have led to renewed calls from Democratic lawmakers to launch impeachment proceedings against the president. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday that impeachment may be the only “remedy” if the reports that Trump pressured Ukraine for info on a political opponent are true.

Trump has meanwhile accused Democrats in Congress of initiating another “witch hunt” against him. He’s also maintained that his contact with foreign leaders is “always appropriate.“

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko has denied reports that Trump pressured Zelensky to look into matters related to Biden and his son. 

“I know what the conversation was about and I think there was no pressure,” Prystaiko told the news outlet Hromadske on Friday. 

“There was talk, conversations are different, leaders have the right to discuss any problems that exist. This conversation was long, friendly, and it touched on a lot of questions, including those requiring serious answers,” he added. 

Trump acknowledged speaking with the Ukrainian leader about Biden on Sunday, stating that their discussion was largely about “corruption” and the fact that “we don’t want our people like Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine.”