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Trump to release transcript of a second call with Zelensky next week

Trump's dealings with Ukraine first came under scrutiny after a whistleblower raised alarm over a July conversation between the two presidents. A rough transcript of the call later released by the White House showed Trump repeatedly urging Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a chief political rival on potential corruption allegations.

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Published : Nov 10, 2019, 11:49 AM IST

Washington:US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he will release the transcript of his second phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week, probably on Tuesday.

Just before boarding Air Force One on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, the president said this communication took place in April before the July conversation that was released earlier last month.

"They want to have a transcript of the other call, the second call, and I'm willing to provide that," the President told reporters before departing for Alabama-LSU game.

"You'll read the second call, and you'll tell me if there's anything wrong with it," he added.

Trump's dealings with Ukraine first came under scrutiny after a whistleblower raised alarm over a July conversation between the two presidents. A rough transcript of the call later released by the White House showed Trump repeatedly urging Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a chief political rival on potential corruption allegations.

Following this, the US House Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry, the public hearings of which will begin next week.

Trump has maintained that his July call with Zelensky was perfect, and the White House has repeatedly blasted the House investigation as a witch hunt.

"There shouldn't be anything. There shouldn't be impeachment hearings," the president said calling the testimony so far all third-hand knowledge.

The impeachment investigation has escalated after several witnesses testified behind closed doors that they believed that $400 million in military aid to Ukraine and a meeting with Zelensky hinged on Kyiv complying with Trump's request to investigate Biden and 2016 election meddling.

Read Also: Trump impeachment public hearings to begin next week

House Republicans submitted a list of witnesses they want to interview including the anonymous whistleblower, Hunter Biden, former US special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker, high-ranking state department official David Hale and Tim Morrison, and top advisors on National Security Council from Russia and Europe.

However, in a sign House, Republicans also seeks to underscore unsubstantiated claims related to the 2016 presidential campaign, they also listed Nellie Ohr, a former Fusion GPS contractor, and Alexandra Chalupa, a former Democratic National Committee staffer.

Read Also: Trump rules out rollback on China tariff

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