Emails show Trump blocked aid to Ukraine after phone call with Zelenskiy

Newly-released government emails show Pentagon officials froze military aid for Ukraine 90 minutes after a controversial phone call last July between the US President, Donald Trump, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

The emails were published by the Center for Public Integrity and they revealed that swift action was taken to block funding for Kiev's military.

The same emails appeared to confirm that the aid was held up soon after Trump pressured Zelenskiy on that call to “do us a favor, though”.

Trump's critics had accused him of attempting to gather dirt on his political rival Joe Biden in return for authorising the vital military assistance.

Democratic senators Chuck Schumer and Amy Klobuchar asked the author of the reported emails, Mike Duffey, over the weekend to testify at the impeachment trial that was due to take place in the Senate next year.

When the emails were published, Klobuchar said: “We just found out this weekend that someone who works for Mick Mulvaney, Mike Duffey, he sent an email 90 minutes after the president made the critical call to the Ukraine president … we have it here, we just found it.”

Schumer tweeted that the email was “all the more reason why we need Duffey and others to testify in a Senate trial”.

According to reports, a July email from Duffey to Pentagon officials, said: “Based on guidance I have received and in light of the administration’s plan to review assistance to Ukraine, including the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, please hold off on any additional DoD obligations of these funds, pending direction from that process."

"Given the sensitive nature of the request, I appreciate your keeping that information closely held to those who need to know to execute direction," the same email read.

The impeachment process was in limbo after the articles charging the President were approved in the House of Representatives during the preceding week.