Ukrainian president whose call with Trump sparked impeachment congratulates Biden

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose 2019 call with President Trump sparked impeachment investigations, took to Twitter to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and his running-mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) after news outlets projected their win Saturday. 

“Congratulations to @JoeBiden @KamalaHarris!” Zelensky tweeted. “#Ukraine is optimistic about the future of the strategic partnership with the #UnitedStates.” 

He then added that Ukraine and the U.S. “have always collaborated on security, trade, investment, democracy, fight against corruption.” 

“Our friendship becomes only stronger!” Zelensky added. 

Congratulations to @JoeBiden @KamalaHarris! #Ukraine is optimistic about the future of the strategic partnership with the #UnitedStates. and have always collaborated on security, trade, investment, democracy, fight against corruption. Our friendship becomes only stronger!

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 7, 2020

Zelensky joined other world leaders, including the U.K.’s Boris Johnson, Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron, in offering well wishes to Biden and Harris. 

Transcripts from a July 2019 call revealed that Trump asked Zelensky to find damaging information on Biden and his son, Hunter, months after the former vice president launched his presidential run. 

The call led House Democrats to draw up articles of impeachment against Trump, claiming that the president had used the power of his office to pressure the leader of a foreign government to dig up dirt on a political rival.  

Trump was eventually acquitted by the Senate on two counts, one of obstruction of Congress and another of abuse of power. 

One of the central witnesses in the investigations was Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. Vindman was fired from the National Security Council after testifying that he was concerned about the phone call between Trump and Zelensky. 

Vindman was also among the people who joined in on the congratulatory praise for Biden and Harris Saturday, writing “I am grateful for your willingness to continue to serve the American people. Now we can start to heal and rebuild.” 

Congratulations to President Elect @JoeBiden and Vice President Elect @KamalaHarris. I am grateful for your willingness to continue to serve the American people. Now we can start to heal and rebuild.

— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) November 7, 2020

Shortly after, Vindman asked in another tweet, “When is the right moment to unfollow @realDonaldTrump ?” 

“As a policy guy, I had to follow to see what catastrophe would come out of his Twitter. But know [now]?” Vindman added. 

When is the right moment to unfollow @realDonaldTrump ? As a policy guy, I had to follow to see what catastrophe would come out of his Twitter. But know?

— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) November 7, 2020

Vindman’s twin brother, Yevgeny, tweeted an image of the two, along with their wives, toasting glasses of champagne in celebration of Biden’s win. 

Vindman’s wife, Rachel, also tweeted an image of her with her husband, writing “Exhausted. Elated. Relieved.” 

NBC, CNN, ABC and the Associated Press all called the race for Biden shortly before 11:30 a.m. Saturday after a days-long vote count that had the country waiting for results since Tuesday. 

Trump has refused to concede, claiming in a statement shared by his campaign Saturday that networks were helping the Democrat “falsely” pose as the winner and promising to fight the results in court. Trump’s campaign has launched lawsuits in multiple states in an effort to halt the counting of absentee ballots that it claims were illegally cast.

–Updated at 5:03 p.m.