Ukraine's president rejected one of Trump's main defenses for withholding military aid, but denied there was a quid pro quo

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed back on President Donald Trump repeatedly referring to his country as corrupt in defending his decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine. 
• The roughly $400 million in military aid was frozen under hazy circumstances, and Trump has offered an inconsistent series of defenses as to why amid the impeachment inquiry.
• Zelensky also rejected the notion there was a quid pro quo linking the security assistance to investigations into Trump's political rivals. 
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In a new interview with Time and three European outlets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected one of President Donald Trump's central talking points in defending his decision to withhold millions in military aid from Kiev. 

Trump has offered an inconsistent series of defenses as to why he froze the roughly $400 million in security assistance, fluctuating between alleged concerns over corruption to misleading claims that European countries haven't done much to support Ukraine. 

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