"Ukrainian Lawmakers Seek New Probes Into Allegations at "Epicenter" of U.S. Political Battles"

[Nevermypresident]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukrainian-lawmakers-seek-new-probes-into-allegations-at-epicenter-of-us-political-battles/ar-AAHWqhM

snipped:
"Lawmakers in Ukraine are seeking to launch probes into some of the same allegations at the heart of the Trump administration’s dirt-digging efforts, including possibly reopening inquiries into the Ukrainian natural gas firm with connections to Hunter Biden."

"Those advocating the parliamentary investigations say they address any potential loose ends and try to defuse Ukraine’s potentially explosive role in the 2020 presidential election. But they also acknowledge that their effort could have the opposite effect and keep Ukraine in the middle of the impeachment debate in Washington. 

“I don’t like it that Ukraine, again and again, is in such tight, uncomfortable situations,” said Valentin Nalyvaichenko, the Ukrainian lawmaker who is leading the push for the parliamentary inquiry."

But under Ukraine’s political rules, Trump and Giuliani may not need to go to the top to get what they want.Ukrainian law allows parliament to start a formal inquiry if one-third of the 450-member legislature agrees. Nalyvaichenko, a newly elected member of former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s Fatherland party, is now trying to gather enough signatures.

Even if Nalyvaichenko falls short, he said he would still press for regular parliamentary hearings. Those could involve alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and inquests into claims of money laundering and abuse by the gas company Burisma Holdings, whose board once included the younger Biden. He has not been accused by Ukrainian officials of wrongdoing.

In a sign that he knows the inquiry will not simply be of local interest, Nalyvaichenko said he would invite “Ukraine and international media” to cover it.He said that he had not consulted with anyone from Zelensky’s team or political party about the effort, although he said he hoped they joined in. Zelensky’s party controls a majority of the seats in parliament.


“Like or dislike, we’re already on the agenda,” said Oleg Voloshyn, a lawmaker and former Foreign Ministry spokesman. “It’s better for us to be open and transparent, rather than put it in a suitcase and look like we’re selling it to Trump or Biden.”

[Cartoonist]

1. Witch hunt!

Ukraine is being squeezed by Trump and Putin.

[CatMor]

2. Definitely trump behind this.

[Claritie Pixie]

3. This is what I was concerned about. Ukraine delivers sensationally for him.

[Nevermypresident]

4. I don't like it either. My issue is the possibility of a corrupt investigation to deliver what

trump wants. Hopefully, this will not happen.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I wonder if Ukraine might be tempted to hedge its bets

on the possibility that Biden could become president. I'm sure they're aware that Trump could be going down, either because of the impeachment proceedings or because he's defeated in 2020, and maybe they don't want to run the risk of being found to have phonied up some dirt on Biden under pressure from Trump.