GOP senator says he learned of potential Ukraine quid pro quo from EU ambassador

EU Ambassador.
(Image credit: Daniel Mihailescu/AFP/Getty Images)

A Republican senator says he questioned President Trump in August about a potential quid pro quo with Ukraine after learning of it from a U.S. diplomat.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told The Wall Street Journal in a Friday interview that U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland told him the U.S. was tying military aid to Ukraine and Trump's request for an investigation related to the 2016 presidential election. As Johnson put it, he says he was told that Ukraine would need to "get to the bottom of what happened in 2016" and "if President Trump has that confidence, then he'll release the military spending."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.