Aug 8, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Ukraine's Zelensky warns citizens not to interfere in U.S. elections

Rebecca Falconer

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky attends a festive meeting in a Parliamentary Hall in Kyiv, Ukraine, July 16 — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a meeting in a Parliamentary Hall in Kyiv, Ukraine, in July. Photo: Sergii Kharchenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a statement on his Facebook page Saturday stating that it "is never and under no circumstances acceptable to interfere with another country's sovereign elections."

Why it matters: National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina said Friday the Russian government had taken action to "denigrate former Vice President Biden" before November's election and that a "pro-Russia" Ukrainian lawmaker was "spreading claims about corruption" to "undermine" the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

What he's saying: Zelensky said in his statement he wanted to "assure our partners that Ukraine did not allow and will not allow itself to intervene in the future in the elections and thereby harm our trustworthy and sincere partnerships with the United States."

He added that Ukrainian citizens should "refrain from any activity related to the US presidential election and not allow themselves to try to solve any of their personal political or business problems."

Of note: Trump and his allies have previously pushed unfounded claims that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 elections. The fourth volume of a Senate Intelligence Committee report affirms the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the election to help President Trump defeat 2016 presidential rival Hillary Clinton.

Ukraine was at the center of the president's impeachment and subsequent acquittal earlier this year on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in relation to military aid for the country.

Flashback: Trump-Ukraine scandal: The key players, dates and documents

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Ukraine's Zelensky warns citizens not to interfere in U.S. elections

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