I’ve been to Ukraine once in 1981 and Russia more than 25 times between 1981-2001. The actions of Donald Trump have brought these countries center stage in the 2016 election as documented in the Mueller report, and now the impeachment inquiry with implications for the 2020 election.

In the last election, Russia helped Trump get elected. Trump wants us to think that it wasn’t Russia that poked its head into 2016 election, but Ukraine.

He wants to exonerate Russia from election hacking and interference. Trump publicly stated, in a press conference with Putin in July, 2018 that he saw no reason that Russia would interfere in his election. In fact, Mr. Putin told him that Russia didn’t interfere in the election. This was a performance that many in government and the intelligent services thought disgraceful and troubling.

Yet, the American intelligence community reported, without question, that Russia did interfere in 2016.

The Mueller report documented how Russia influenced the 2016 election favoring Donald Trump. By putting the blame on Ukraine, he is attempting to make his election legitimate. My interpretation of the report is that the Trump Presidency may not be valid.

Shadow Government in Ukraine

To swing the 2016 election and put the blame on Ukraine, he dispatched Rudi Giuliani to act as the head of a “shadow” government. Giuliani was armed with conspiracy theories about Ukraine’s 2016 election interference and corruption. Trump and Giuliani also wanted Ukraine’s president to investigate a political rival’s family, Joe and Hunter Biden.

In other words, Trump is desperate to rewrite history to show is the legitimate President. He also wants to use Ukraine to help him get elected again.

The Bribe

In order to accomplish his goal, Trump set in motion actions in Ukraine leading to an impeachment inquiry. In a phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky in July, Trump at one point in the call said: “I would like you do us a favor, though.” It’s the favor that set in motion the emergence of a bribe. He asked President Zelensky to work directly with Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General Barr to investigate Joe Biden and his son. Vice-President Biden’s son is on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company.

Goat

Yes a goat, but my favorite one that lives on Fen Farm in Lincoln, UK. It’s our home while we are buying antiques for our business. I’ve said before, we need to keep our eyes on the Trump administration. Apparently our fellow travelers do also.