In a stunning revelation that sheds new light on Trump administration foreign policy, former White House aide Fiona Hill has disclosed that Donald Trump made a secret phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately before refusing to speak with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
The explosive claim, detailed in Hill's forthcoming memoir 'There Is Nothing For You Here', suggests the former president prioritised his relationship with the Kremlin over supporting a key European ally.
A Damning Timeline of Events
According to Hill's account, the incident occurred during a particularly tense period in US-Ukraine relations. Trump was scheduled to speak with President Zelensky in May 2019, but abruptly cancelled the call moments before it was due to take place.
What makes this revelation particularly significant is what happened immediately afterwards. Hill describes how Trump instead placed a call to Vladimir Putin, choosing to engage with the Russian leader rather than his Ukrainian counterpart.
The Wider Context of US-Ukraine Relations
This incident occurred against the backdrop of Trump's controversial approach to Ukraine, which would later form the basis of his first impeachment. The cancelled Zelensky call took place just months before the infamous July 2019 conversation that triggered impeachment proceedings.
Hill's memoir suggests this pattern of behaviour toward Ukraine was more established than previously understood, revealing a consistent preference for engagement with Moscow over Kyiv.
Expert Analysis and Implications
Foreign policy experts suggest this revelation adds crucial context to understanding Trump's approach to Russia and Ukraine. The timing and sequence of these communications appear to signal where the former president's diplomatic priorities truly lay.
The memoir provides unprecedented insight into the inner workings of Trump's foreign policy decision-making, particularly regarding two nations at the centre of significant geopolitical tensions.
As Hill's account comes to light, it raises new questions about the nature of Trump's relationship with Putin and how this may have influenced US policy toward Ukraine during a critical period in the region's history.
