Read Vindman and Hill testimonies: Trump impeachment inquiry transcripts released

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The explosive testimonies added further evidence of an apparent “quid pro quo” surrounding Mr Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, including the 25 July phone call in which he allegedly asked Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to launch investigations into one of his 2020 political rivals, Joe Biden. Lt Col Vindman, who serves as the director for European affairs on the National Security Council, said there was “no doubt” what Mr Trump was asking for during the call with his Ukrainian counterpart. I mean, he would certainly understand some of this – some of these elements because the story had been developing for some time, but the fact that he mentioned specifically Burisma seemed to suggest to me that he was prepped for this call.” The impeachment witness also told investigators that Mick Mulvaney, the president’s acting chief of staff, took part in making sure the White House meeting between the two leaders was conditioned upon the agreement that Mr Zelensky would launch the investigations in question. And Ms Hill, who served as the administration’s top Russia expert under Mr Trump, provided House investigators with a direct quote from the president’s ex-National Security adviser, John Bolton, who reportedly said: “You go an tell Eisenberg that I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up on this, and you go and tell him what you’ve heard and what I’ve said.” She said she was “worried about these conspiracy theories” involving Ukrainian election interference, which Mr Trump has long said impacted the 2016 presidential elections without evidence.