Amid Impeachment Talk, Trump Admits to Withholding Funds From Ukraine

President Donald Trump visited the United Nations on Tuesday to deliver an address to the General Assembly, and while he was there, confirmed reports that his administration froze nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine, saying that he wanted other countries in Europe to contribute money too and did not want the U.S. to pay everything by itself.

The move to freeze the funds designated for Ukraine by Congress has placed Trump's administration under scrutiny, leading to many Democrats to call for the House to begin impeachment proceedings after it was revealed Trump pressured the newly-elected Ukrainian president to investigate the family of former Vice President Joe Biden. However, Trump offered an alternative take on why he wanted to withhold the funds.

"As far as withholding funds, those funds were paid," Trump said. "They were fully paid. But my complaint has always been — and I'd withhold again, and I'll continue to withhold until such time as Europe and other nations contribute to Ukraine, because they're not doing it."

"Very important, I want other countries to put up money," said Trump. "I think it's unfair that we put up the money. Then other people call me. They said, 'Oh, let it go.' And I let it go. But we paid the money, the money was paid."

Trump's admission about the phone calls he had with Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky is the latest spin offered by the administration amid reports of a whistleblower complaint by a member of the U.S. intelligence community that was reportedly tied to a call between the two leaders. The administration has so far refused to turn over the complaint to congress.

According to a report in the Washington Post, Trump ordered his chief of staff to place a hold on the $400 million in military aid for Ukraine for at least a week before a phone call with Zelensky in July. The White House has pushed back against the story, calling it untrue. Trump said the White House may release the transcript of the call, saying he did not pressure the Ukrainian president.

"I put no pressure on them whatsoever," Trump said. "I could have. I think it would probably, possibly have been OK if I did. But I didn't. I didn't put any pressure on them whatsoever."

Revelations of the call and the administration's refusal to release the complaint has led to many leading Democrats, including several presidential candidates, to call for the House to begin impeachment proceedings against the president. NBC News reports that by mid-Tuesday, more than 150 Democrats in the House have signed on to some type of impeachment action in light of the Ukraine scandal. Seven freshman Democrats published an op-ed on Monday that said the allegations against Trump were the very kind of thing they were elected to prevent.

Pelosi has called an all-caucus meeting for Tuesday afternoon that is expected cover impeachment.

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