- Title: Ukraine must investigate Joe Biden's son, says ex-Ukrainian PM
- Date: 27th September 2019
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 26, 2019) (REUTERS) FORMER UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER MYKOLA AZAROV TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) FORMER UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER, MYKOLA AZAROV, SAYING: "Everything that I now know about this company (Burisma), that the son of the Vice President (Joe Biden) took part in it, now explains the position that the Vice President occupied. He paid too much attention to Ukraine. I had to work a lot with the Americans, I do not remember a case that the Vice President of the United States would visit our country eleven times over three years. And by his own admission, he talked with Poroshenko more often than with his own wife. And the reason of such deep interest was not known to me." VARIOUS OF CALENDAR ON AZAROV'S DESK (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) FORMER UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER, MYKOLA AZAROV, SAYING: "I think it (to investigate what Biden had done for Burisma) is essential. Once such a question has been raised, it has a real underlying motive. It is a fact, it has not been made up, then it should be investigated so that the "i" s can be dotted and the "t" s crossed, using his knowledge and experience - I do not know his professional skills, he (Hunter Biden) played an active role then there's nothing scandalous about it. But if he was simply on the books and getting money then that could be seen as a violation of the law." NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY AT NEWS CONFERENCE MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 26, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) FORMER UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER, MYKOLA AZAROV, SAYING: "Now in terms of his (Zelenskiy's) alleged attacks on (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel or (French President Emmanuel) Macron there - I wouldn't say that he attacked them. He expressed his criticism that they are not actively involved. This is a real fact. Their involvement is indeed not active enough." AZAROV TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) FORMER UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER, MYKOLA AZAROV, SAYING: "Yes, they have provided approximately 12 billion of credit resources, but they must be given back. Therefore, I would not use the word "help". And the second matter I would raise right away is the effectiveness of the credit resources. The efficiency is zero, even negative. How can one notice that 12 billion were provided?" PAINTING SHOWING ORTHODOX SAINTS IN AZAROV'S CABINET
- Embargoed: 11th October 2019 16:38
- Keywords: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy U.S. President Donald Trump former minister
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA AND NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA AND NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYFPB9J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Ukraine must investigate the activities of Joe Biden's son to establish whether his role in a Ukrainian gas company complied with the country's laws, Mykola Azarov, Ukraine's former prime minister, said in an interview on Thursday (September 26).
Hunter Biden's role in the company, Burisma Holdings Limited, is in focus after the White House published a memo showing U.S. President Donald Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July phone call to get prosecutors to look into his activities. Zelenskiy agreed.
Joe Biden, former U.S. vice president and a contender in next year's U.S. presidential race, has denied using his influence to get Ukraine's prosecutor general fired to prevent him investigating his son's involvement and has said that he and his son have done nothing wrong.
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau said on Friday it was investigating activity at Burisma between 2010-2012, but that it was not looking into changes to its board in 2014 when Hunter Biden joined.
Hunter Biden was a director on Burisma's board from 2014 until at least 2018, according to documents filed by the company in Cyprus where it is registered.
Azarov, who was prime minister from 2010-2014, is himself wanted by Ukrainian authorities for alleged abuse of power.
He said he was not aware of any evidence suggesting wrongdoing on Hunter Biden's part, but said it was in the Ukrainian public interest to ascertain the legality of his activities.
Though he said he was deeply skeptical of the allegations, Azarov said he also thought it was right that the circumstances of the general prosecutor's sacking in 2016 be looked into.
In a separate interview in Kiev, Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine's ex-foreign minister, told Reuters he and others were surprised by the White House's decision to release confidential details of Trump's call with Zelenskiy.
According to Ukrainian law, such calls are strictly confidential and Zelenskiy could not be compelled to release the Ukrainian transcript or a summary memo, said Klimkin.
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