The new transcripts come two days before the impeachment inquiry by Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives committees enters a crucial new public phase. "I am sure you will find it tantalizing!"

Taylor previously testified that he was unhappy USA aid to Ukraine was held up by the administration, Reuters reported.

With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, two witnesses - William Taylor, top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent - will be sworn in before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday.

"As a general principle, I do not believe the United States should ask other countries to engage in selective politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents of those in power because such selective actions undermine the rule of law regardless of the country", Kent said first in his testimony Wednesday.

Kent said on Wednesday he did not believe the U.S. should ask other countries to engage in "selective, politically associated investigations" and that such "selective actions" undermine the rule of law regardless of the country.

Taylor is America's top diplomat in Ukraine, serving as the Chargé d'Affaires.

Counteroffensive: Trump spent part of his morning on a counteroffensive against the investigation, quoting conservative media figures calling the process a "sham", as he often has, and suggesting without evidence that Daniel Goldman, a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of NY who will conduct some of the questioning for Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff, once worked for him, which would present a conflict of interest.

She also recalled a conversation with Volker on August 20, in which the subject of the aid freeze was raised, and that Volker said that a Ukrainian announcement along the lines requested by Trump could see it lifted.

The first of two witnesses began publicly detailing his concerns that the Trump administration sought to tie military aid to Ukraine to an investigation of the Republican president's potential Democratic rival for the presidency, former vice-president Joe Biden.

The Hong Kong police gunshot that unleashed a day of mayhem
Prof Stott said the "unprecedented" scale and violence of the city's protests make Monday's incidents "perhaps unsurprising". A man (C, in torn shirt) is detained by riot police during a protest in Hong Kong's Central district on November 11, 2019.

Khloe Kardashian Apologizes to Fans for What Happened at People's Choice Awards
"Wow! Thank you guys so much, this means so much, 'cause you guys, the fans, voted for this and this means everything to us". Kim Kardashian West believes Instagram's decision to remove likes will improve one's mental health.

Pep Guardiola Backtracks on His Claims That Sadio Mane is a Diver
Asked for his thoughts on what Klopp had to say, though, Guardiola said that he wasn't even aware of Klopp's comments. Liverpool lead the Premier League by six points and have dropped just two points all season.

Taylor said some of his staff were at a restaurant with Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and that Sondland called Trump from the restaurant and the staff could hear Trump on the phone asking about "the investigations".

"I take it that the import of that is he (Trump) cares more about that (the investigations) than he does about Ukraine?"

Taylor Jr., the top US diplomat to Ukraine, called it "crazy" that the United States would condition the release of security assistance to Ukraine on opening an investigation into Democrats.

"What Democrats say is that this is important, not only because Giuliani helped oust her, Yovanovitch, but that, after that, Giuliani convinced the president to withhold that aid to Ukraine in order to investigate before Ukraine investigated three things, 2016, Clinton and Biden", PBS reported.

"I think it's insane to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign", he said. "Of course, Ukraine is not in the E.U". He accused the administration of running a shadow foreign policy orchestrated by Giuliani.

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney listens during a Cabinet meeting held by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington.

She said it was "unusual" to have the congressional funds suddenly halted that way.

Schiff on Tuesday revealed the people who will testify during next week's impeaching inquiry hearings.