RUSSIA/UKRAINE

RUSH TRANSCRIPT CASTOR At ░░░░░░░░ point during that trip ░░░░░░░░ Mr Danylyuk offer you ░░░░░░░░ position with the Ukrainian ░░░░░░░░ VINDMAN He did CASTOR ░░░░░░░░ many times did he ░░░░░░░░ that VINDMAN I believe ░░░░░░░░ was three times CASTOR ░░░░░░░░ you have any reason ░░░░░░░░ he asked you to ░░░░░░░░ that VINDMAN I don ░░░░░░░░ know but every single ░░░░░░░░ I dismissed it Upon ░░░░░░░░ I notified my chain ░░░░░░░░ command and the appropriate ░░░░░░░░ folks about this the ░░░░░░░░ CASTOR Ukraine s a ░░░░░░░░ that s experienced a ░░░░░░░░ with Russia Certainly their ░░░░░░░░ of defense is a ░░░░░░░░ key position for the ░░░░░░░░ President Zelensky Mr Danylyuk ░░░░░░░░ bestow that honor on ░░░░░░░░ at least asking you ░░░░░░░░ was a big honor ░░░░░░░░ VINDMAN I think it ░░░░░░░░ be a great honor ░░░░░░░░ frankly I m aware ░░░░░░░░ service members that have ░░░░░░░░ service to help nurture ░░░░░░░░ democracies in that part ░░░░░░░░ the world certainly in ░░░░░░░░ Baltics former officers If ░░░░░░░░ recall correctly it was ░░░░░░░░ Air Force officer that ░░░░░░░░ Minister of Defense but ░░░░░░░░ m an American I ░░░░░░░░ here when I was ░░░░░░░░ and I immediately dismissed ░░░░░░░░ offers did not entertain ░░░░░░░░ CASTOR When he made ░░░░░░░░ offer to you initially ░░░░░░░░ you leave the door ░░░░░░░░ Was there a reason ░░░░░░░░ had to come back ░░░░░░░░ ask a second or ░░░░░░░░ time or was he ░░░░░░░░ trying to convince you ░░░░░░░░ Counselor you know what ░░░░░░░░ s the whole notion ░░░░░░░░ rather comical that I ░░░░░░░░ being asked to consider ░░░░░░░░ I d want to ░░░░░░░░ the minister of defense ░░░░░░░░ did not leave the ░░░░░░░░ open at all CASTOR ░░░░░░░░ VINDMAN But it is ░░░░░░░░ funny for a lieutenant ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ which really isn t ░░░░░░░░ senior to be offered ░░░░░░░░ illustrious a position CASTOR ░░░░░░░░ he made this offer ░░░░░░░░ you was he speaking ░░░░░░░░ English or Ukrainian VINDMAN ░░░░░░░░ Danylyuk is an absolutely ░░░░░░░░ English speaker He was ░░░░░░░░ in English And just ░░░░░░░░ be clear there were ░░░░░░░░ other staff officers embassy ░░░░░░░░ staff officers that were ░░░░░░░░ next to me when ░░░░░░░░ offer was made CASTOR ░░░░░░░░ And who were they ░░░░░░░░ So one of them ░░░░░░░░ may have met it ░░░░░░░░ Mr David Holmes And ░░░░░░░░ other one was I ░░░░░░░░ t know I guess ░░░░░░░░ could it s another ░░░░░░░░ service officer Keith Bean ░░░░░░░░ Okay We met Mr ░░░░░░░░ last Friday evening VINDMAN ░░░░░░░░ understand Delightful fellow CASTOR ░░░░░░░░ you said when you ░░░░░░░░ to the United States ░░░░░░░░ know with clearance when ░░░░░░░░ a foreign government makes ░░░░░░░░ overture like that you ░░░░░░░░ it up U and ░░░░░░░░ your chain of command ░░░░░░░░ I did but I ░░░░░░░░ t know if I ░░░░░░░░ entertained it as a ░░░░░░░░ offer I was making ░░░░░░░░ I did the right ░░░░░░░░ in terms of reporting ░░░░░░░░ CASTOR Did any of ░░░░░░░░ supervisors Dr Hill at ░░░░░░░░ time or Dr Cupperman ░░░░░░░░ Ambassador Bolton ever follow ░░░░░░░░ you about that It ░░░░░░░░ rather significant the Ukrainians ░░░░░░░░ you the post of ░░░░░░░░ minister You know did ░░░░░░░░ tell anyone in your ░░░░░░░░ of command about it ░░░░░░░░ After I spoke to ░░░░░░░░ I believe the deputy ░░░░░░░░ deputy senior director John ░░░░░░░░ was there I spoke ░░░░░░░░ I mentioned it to ░░░░░░░░ of them I don ░░░░░░░░ believe there was ever ░░░░░░░░ follow up discussion CASTOR ░░░░░░░░ so it never came ░░░░░░░░ with Dr Cupperman or ░░░░░░░░ Hill VINDMAN Following that ░░░░░░░░ I had with Dr ░░░░░░░░ I don t believe ░░░░░░░░ was a subsequent conversation ░░░░░░░░ I don t recall ░░░░░░░░ having a conversation with ░░░░░░░░ Cupperman B about it ░░░░░░░░ Did you brief director ░░░░░░░░ when he came on ░░░░░░░░ VINDMAN No I completely ░░░░░░░░ about it CASTOR Did ░░░░░░░░ Dannylook ever ask you ░░░░░░░░ reconsider Is were there ░░░░░░░░ other offers Is VINDMAN ░░░░░░░░ CASTOR When he visited ░░░░░░░░ the July 10th meeting ░░░░░░░░ it come up again ░░░░░░░░ It did not CASTOR ░░░░░░░░ you epossibly if this ░░░░░░░░ got out it might ░░░░░░░░ at least the per ░░░░░░░░ of a conflict that ░░░░░░░░ thought so high of ░░░░░░░░ to offer you the ░░░░░░░░ ministry post On one ░░░░░░░░ but on the other ░░░░░░░░ re responsible for Ukrainian ░░░░░░░░ thesy VINDMAN So frankly ░░░░░░░░ s more important about ░░░░░░░░ my American leadership chain ░░░░░░░░ command thinks than any ░░░░░░░░ are honorable people Not ░░░░░░░░ if it was meant ░░░░░░░░ a joke or not ░░░░░░░░ it s more important ░░░░░░░░ any White House chain ░░░░░░░░ command thinks more so ░░░░░░░░ anyone else and if ░░░░░░░░ were concerned a continuing ░░░░░░░░ duties they would have ░░░░░░░░ that to my attention ░░░░░░░░ Hill stayed on for ░░░░░░░░ more months and we ░░░░░░░░ to continue icy.”