And here's some Ukrainian reaction to Vindman's claim:
Also from our news desk:
U.S. National Security Official Tells Impeachment Hearing Ukraine Offered Him Defense Minister Position
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. National Security Council’s expert for Ukraine has told a Democratic-led House impeachment hearing he was offered the position of Ukraine’s defense minister three times, a revelation that Republicans could seize on to cast doubt about his testimony.
Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Vindman, who was born in the Soviet republic of Ukraine, told the hearing that then-Ukraine national-security chief Oleksandr Danylyuk asked if he wanted the Defense Ministry position when he visited Kyiv as part of the U.S. delegation attending President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's inauguration.
"Every single time I dismissed it. Upon returning, I notified my chain of command and the appropriate counterintelligence folks about the offer," he said, adding: "I am an American. I came here when I was a toddler and I immediately dismissed these offers. I did not entertain them. I did not leave the door open at all."
Vindman is a key witness in the impeachment hearing into whether U.S. President Donald Trump abused his position of office and tried to tie military aid for Ukraine to Zelenskiy’s announcement of an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to run against Trump in 2020.
Vindman informed White House lawyers that Trump's call with Zelenskiy on July 25 -- which is at the heart of the impeachment hearing -- was inappropriate.
Allies of Trump have sought to question the loyalty of Vindman, a decorated veteran who emigrated from Soviet Ukraine to the United States when he was a child.
Prior to asking Vindman about Danylyuk’s offer, the Republican counsel questioned Vindman about whether his superiors were concerned about his access to information and judgement on Ukraine policy, to which he replied "no."
However, Vindman indicated he was surprised he was not invited to travel with Vice President Mike Pence to Warsaw in September to meet with Zelenskiy and was not involved in phone calls between his boss, Tim Morrison, and William Taylor, the U.S. charge d'affaires to Ukraine.
"Certainly, it was concerning" because Taylor "wasn’t steeped" in all Ukraine issues, he said about not being part of the calls. "I thought I could contribute to the performance of his duties."
The Czech prime minister was in Kyiv today. Here's how Radio Prague International reported his trip:
Czech PM Babiš pledges support for territorial integrity on Ukraine visit
The Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš, visited Ukraine on Tuesday. After attending the launch of a Czech-Ukrainian enterprise forum, Mr. Babiš held talks with the country’s prime minister, Oleksiy Honcharuk. Following both engagements in Kiev he reiterated the Czech Republic’s support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.
Mr. Babiš later told Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, that the Czech Republic condemned Russian aggression in the east of the country and Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. The Czech leader also invited Mr. Zelensky to a meeting of the Visegrad Four in Prague.
Another item from RFE/RL's news desk:
Senior White House Aide Says Trump Call With Zelenskiy 'Improper'
WASHINGTON -- Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, a U.S. Army officer at the National Security Council, has testified that he believes a July 25 call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's new president was "improper" and that he reported his misgivings to the chain of command because he felt it "would undermine our national security."
Vindman, the White House National Security Council's top Ukraine expert, on November 19 told a Democratic-led House of Representatives impeachment inquiry into Trump and his dealings with Ukraine that "it is improper for the president of the United States to demand a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen and political opponent."
Vindman was among those tasked with listening in on the call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which has become the focus of the probe as lawmakers seek to learn whether Trump abused his office for personal and political gain by prodding Ukraine to investigate his political foes, including former Vice President Joe Biden, in exchange for releasing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of military aid.
Later in the questioning Vindman said he "knew that I had to report [his concerns about the call] to the White House counsel. I had concerns and it was my duty to report my concerns to the proper people in the chain of command."
Vindman, whose family fled the Soviet Union when he was three and a half years old, said that pressuring Kyiv to conduct an investigation into political rivals in return for military aid would "undermine our Ukraine policy and it would undermine our national security."
Vindman was testifying as the second week of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry got under way.
Jennifer Williams, a foreign-service aide to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, sat next to the uniformed Vindman before the House Intelligence Committee, telling lawmakers that she found the July 25 call "unusual" because it "involved discussion of what appeared to be a domestic political matter."
Williams also listened in on the call between Trump and Zelenskiy.
Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, and former National Security Council Russia expert Tim Morrison were also scheduled to testify on November 19.
The White House and Trump's Republican allies have dismissed the impeachment process, saying he did nothing improper, and certainly nothing worthy of impeachment.