Ukraine president denies Trump pressured him into investigating Biden

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied Wednesday that he asked a prosecutor to investigate Joe Biden after a call with Donald Trump in which the American president appeared to pressured him into probing into his political opponent.

Zelensky said in English with Trump at his arm, ‘Nobody pushed me.’

He said he did not accede to Trump’s request and never asked a prosecutor general to look into the former vice president. 

‘I can’t push anyone, that is the answer. I didn’t call somebody,’ he said. ‘I didn’t ask him. I didn’t push him.’ 

A former comedian, Zelensky began the bilateral with Trump, by joking about the controversy that has Democrats in America calling for the U.S. president’s removal from office.

‘It’s better to be on TV than on the phone,’ Zelensky told his counterpart with a laugh.

But the conversation soon turned serious, as he begged Trump for more financial support for Ukraine’s fight for sovereignty in the Donbass region, which remains under annexation from Russia.

And peppered with questions from reporters about the July call with Trump, in which the Republican asked him to probe Biden and his son as a favor to him seconds after reminding the Ukrainian leader of U.S. financial support, Zelensky found himself on the defensive.

He said he does not desire to be involved in American politics and the national election taking place next year.

‘I think you read everything. I think you read text, I’m sorry but I don’t want to be involved to democratic offer — elections, elections of U.S. state. We had I think good phone call, it was normal we spoke about many things,’ he said.

Trump chimed in to tell a pack of press from both nations that he did not push Zelensky to interfere in the election. 

‘In other words, no pressure,’ he said.

He told White House reporters, ‘You know there was no pressure. All you have to do is see it,’ he said of a call transcript released by the White House in the morning.’