General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGordon Sondland Stepped In 'and Things Went Really Off the Rails'
Erratic, very emotional, and lots of yelling. Those are some of the words used to describe Sondlands performance in a White House meeting with top Ukrainian officials.
Erin Banco National Security Reporter
Lachlan Markay Reporter
Updated Nov. 17, 2019 8:14PM ET / Published Nov. 17, 2019 8:01PM ET
Ukrainian officials arrived at the White House on July 10 expecting something approaching normal. They were in Washington for a scheduled meeting with then-National Security Adviser John Bolton with a plan to propose a new path for U.S.-Ukrainian relations under the umbrella of energy and security cooperation. All seemed to go welluntil U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland stepped in. Thats when things really went off the rails, one person in the room said.
Its been widely noted in testimonies by multiple House impeachment witnesses that Sondland interrupted the conversation between Bolton and the Ukrainians when he suggested that the Kyiv officials open investigations into Hunter Biden and the gas company he worked for if they wanted President Volodymyr Zelensky to land a White House meeting with Donald Trump.
<snip>
Bolton immediately cut the get-together short, witnesses said, in an attempt to save what had until then been a normal meeting. But whats been less clearuntil nowis what happened moments later, when Sondland guided the Ukrainians into the White Houses Ward Room. Three individuals familiar with the conversation described what happened next.
Sondland continued to not just relay, but demanded ferociously, that the Ukrainians open the Biden investigations, saying it was the only chance for Washington and Kyiv to develop any further meaningful relationship, two individuals with knowledge of Sondlands overtures said.
Sondland raised his voice several times in his attempt to persuade the Ukrainian officials sitting across from him, including Andriy Yermak, a close aide to Zelensky, and Zelenskys then-national security adviser Oleksandr Danylyuk. One individual told The Daily Beast that Sondland got very emotional, adding that there was lots of yelling. Another individual called the meeting erratic and said the Ukrainians began to ignore Sondland and instead turned to Fiona Hill, who ran the National Security Councils Russia desk at the time, for clarification on Washingtons messaging.
</snip>
Boxerfan
(2,533 posts)Poor little rich kid wanted to play super secret agent for his boss. Now he has a choice-maybe 3.
1-Hold the line & go under the bus for Trump.
2- Tell everything he can to save his ass-that means dropping full on Trump.
3- Soviet Buh Bye bullet to the head. Self inflicted of course and he did it twice to be sure.
Those are his choices-none of them are what he bargained for-small violin concert for ya.
captain queeg
(10,188 posts)Can you imagine if even the smallest aspect of this happened during Obamas tenure?
Skittles
(153,160 posts)these treasonous assholes need to be OUSTED
2naSalit
(86,583 posts)canetoad
(17,154 posts)He wasn't spying or using spies; just being a try-hard boot licker who wanted everyone to see him as important.
2naSalit
(86,583 posts)ghouliani/Lev&Igor.
rusty fender
(3,428 posts)desperately to be Trumpasss best friend
intrepidity
(7,294 posts)From now on that will be my standard reply for when I click on a link but cannot read the article.
I am sick of finding 90% links are wasted click s. Show me ads, fine, like you tube does. But the number of paywalls is getting absurd. I'm not playing that game.
Just cancelled my WaPo subscription today so wont post links there, unless I note that it is pay walled.
I remember when the internet worked.
crickets
(25,969 posts)A subscription ad popped up, I clicked the x in the corner to close it, and kept reading to the end.
intrepidity
(7,294 posts)My patience is just currently depleted, esp. w paywalls everywhere
crickets
(25,969 posts)intrepidity
(7,294 posts)Then yesterday, it randomly wanted me to sign in again and that was all it took for me to cancel today. Zero patience for this bullshit
Maraya1969
(22,479 posts)intrepidity
(7,294 posts)They really should heed the YouTube model. Show me ads, but let me read the content. I cannot afford to nickle n dime myself to death.
Maraya1969
(22,479 posts)expense. Plus they want you to log in and that pisses me off.
Imperialism Inc.
(2,495 posts)is to quickly use the keyboard to CTRL+A and then CTRL+C to select all and copy the text before the paywall comes up. Then you can paste the text in a Notepad type text program.
intrepidity
(7,294 posts)Right now constrained to cell phone...