Politics and Economics

I asked on a forum "What did Mr. Biden do in Ukraine that was so bad?" because I was wondering about what Mr. Gugliani was talking about and what the affidavits were.  I am sure that the issue could be spun in a negative way, if you want to. The answers are a bit complicated -

Hunter Biden took a job which paid him $850,000 as a board member of Burisma , the largest oil and gas company in the Ukraine. This occurred during a time in which the United States was supporting one side in a civil war in which one side wanted to retain ties to Russia, and the other side want to establish ties with the EU.

The most innocent explanation is that Burisma wanted to increase foreign direct investment and viewed Devon Archer and Hunter Biden as having the experience to make that happen. The truth, IMO, based upon the facts and timeline, is that the company attempted to gain favor with the U.S. government by enlisting the services of Archer, a close family friend of then Secretary of the State John Kerry, and the son of then vice president. Golf anyone?

Joe, Hunter Biden seen golfing with Ukraine gas company exec back in 2014, photo shows

The firing of the prosecutor investigating Burisma (Shokin) is a natural outgrowth of this involvement. Because how could you make money if the company you’re trying to make money with is under investigation facing regulatory pressure, and fighting for its very existence? It makes no difference that Hunter Biden was not there when the corruption was occurring. After Shokin was fired:

Mr Zlochevsky strengthened his position under new general prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko.

Burisma retained its production licences and settled a tax avoidance case after Mr Lutsenko’s office downgraded the charges. Financial Times

Shokin was also fired in the same month the IMF approved a carrot and stick 17.5-billion dollar loan. Oh gee, how did that parliament vote happen again to fire Shokin? Oh, Biden threatened to withhold 1 billion of the US loan guarantees unless he was fired. Just one of those odd coincidences.

Why didn’t any Republicans say anything about it at the time? And why are Shokin’s successors saying that there’s simply nothing there to investigate? Common sense. In the first instance they were enacting and supporting an agenda to circumvent Russia’s access to the Ukraine. If you know anything of the history here, it’s a big deal to control the pipelines:

Russia provides approximately a quarter of the natural gas consumed in the European Union; approximately 80% of those exports travel through pipelines across Ukrainian soil prior to arriving in the EU. Russia–Ukraine gas disputes - Wikipedia

Would you be surprised to know that on July 25, 2015 the Ukrainian army installed shale gas production equipment near Slavyansk:

Ukrainian troopers help installing shale gas production equipment near the east Ukrainian town of Slavyansk, which they bombed and shelled for the three preceding months, the Novorossiya news agency reports on its website citing local residents “Civilians protected by Ukrainian army are getting ready to install drilling rigs. More equipment is being brought in,” they said, adding that the military are encircling the future extraction area…The people of Slavyansk, which is located in the heart of the Yzovka shale gas field, staged numerous protest actions in the past against its development. They even wanted to call in a referendum on that subject. Environmentalists are particularly concerned with the consequences of hydrofracing, a method used for shale gas extraction, because it implies the use of extremely toxic chemical agents which can poison not only subsoil waters but also the atmosphere. Ukrainian army helps installing shale gas production equipment near Slavyansk (my emphasis).

All that local opposition to this fracking? Problem solved:

Siege of Sloviansk - Wikipedia

Of course, many people wanted Shokin out. Including the US Government the IMF (who made the loan) and the EU (who stood to benefit the most). He was standing in the way their mutual plan. The EU gets most of its natural gas from the Ukraine or via pipelines going through the Ukraine from Russia.

Russia–Ukraine gas disputes - Wikipedia

What was Viktor Yanukovych saying way back in 2009 when Biden visited (wow he made a lot of trips to this little country huh?):

"We underscored the importance for Ukraine to integrate into new European projects to supply oil and gas from traditional and nontraditional [oil- and gas-producing] regions," Yushchenko said. Biden: 'Reset' Not At Ukraine's Expense

Do you think he was referring to places like Slavyansk? Yeah. But he sided with Russia instead and backed out a deal with the EU:

Ukraine suspends preparations for EU trade agreement

So this is certainly the outcome of that decision:

Head of Stratfor, ‘Private CIA,’ Says Overthrow of Yanukovych Was ‘The Most Blatant Coup in History’

So, should we be surprised that Archer and Biden hooked on to a company that wanted to to extract and supply natural gas from the Ukraine during a revolution supported by U.S. foreign policy? Or that they had direct ties to the U.S. government parties enacting that foreign policy? Or that the whole revolution was about the supply of oil and natural gas to the EU? Or that they hired a lobbyist to front and peddle their influence to defer direct ties to the US government?

Ukrainian Employer of Joe Biden’s Son Hires a D.C. Lobbyist

Nope.

But we should be disgusted by all this because it’s all about oil, gas, imperialism, money, corruption, civil war, nepotism, arms deals, the killing of innocent people for profit — the entirety of the globalist’s bag of goodies.

From another writer -

Biden is considered a hero by the Ukraine judicial system, and those fighting corruption!

Trump is using an old trick, attack your adversaries strength as if they did something wrong

This “president”, in all his glory,, is actually claiming this recognized as corrupt persecutor should still be in power.

The vice president, acting on behalf of our Government', our national interest, presidential order, the European Union's behest, the Ukraine Supreme council, the Ukraine Embassy and elected republican politicians, was an accomplishment counted by both sides of our allies as OUTSTANDING.

Till Trump laid his mitts on it of course.

Biden’s spectacular,, pain free achievement, should be applauded rather what this “supposed president” is trying.

Yet it works perfectly to his mis and uninformed flock.

Trump, yet again, acts as a Putin marionette and pitiful scck puppet, lock stepping exactly what Russia wants;

Ukraine Reacts: Trump’s Call Is Putin’s Victory

How many times will this president act in behalf of the Kremlin?

Vice president’ success put his son at risk rather than protect!

By getting Shokin removed, Biden in fact made it more rather than less likely that the oligarch who employed his son would be subject to prosecution for corruption.

The “prosecutor” in question refused prosecuting crimes of anyone in government, that was corruption and needed to stop, he refused enforcing the 2014 law, a law that was critical in removing corruption in their government.

Biden was a hero for removing Shokin to the republican republicans in charge of Ukraine affairs in 2014[1]

The wider U.S. government….. also wanted the prosecutor fired because of an alleged failure to pursue major corruption cases.

Which was held by the republican party

European and Eurasian Affairs under President George W. Bush. Pifer told PolitiFact;

"virtually everyone" he knew in the U.S. government and virtually all non-governmental experts on Ukraine "felt that Shokin was not doing his job and should be fired. As far as I can recall, they all concurred with the vice president telling Poroshenko that the U.S. government would not extend the $1 billion loan guarantee to Ukraine until Shokin was removed from office."

Biden was a hero to our allies, the European Union,;[2]

the European Union and other international institutions also wanted the prosecutor fired because of an alleged failure to pursue major corruption cases.

He’s a hero to the Ukraine supreme council, an equivalent to our congress, comprising over 400 members!

He’s a hero to the Ukraine American embassy who asked Biden do exactly what was done;[3]

Concern at the embassy mounted, and by 2016, officials there began suggesting the Obama administration push for the prosecutor general’s ouster. In particular, the embassy suggested that $1 billion in loan guarantees the country hoped to receive from the US in order to stay solvent should be tied to a tougher anti-corruption strategy that involved removing officials seen as blocking progress, namely Shokin.

Biden is a hero to the IMF[4]

… Western European officials, including the IMF’s then-managing director Christine Lagarde, also insisted Ukraine was doing far too little about corruption.

Trump is using a old trick, attack your adversaries strength as if they did something wrong

Footnotes

[1] Timeline: Key dates in the U.S. political controversy over Ukraine

[2] Timeline: Key dates in the U.S. political controversy over Ukraine

[3] The facts behind Trump’s bogus accusations about Biden and Ukraine

[4] The facts behind Trump’s bogus accusations about Biden and Ukraine

another answer -

Nothing.

Neither of the two Bidens, in fact.

Trump and his propaganda team are spreading a conspiracy theory that makes that claim, but it has been debunked, again, and again, and again.

Opinion | Trump’s Claims About Biden Aren’t ‘Unsupported.’ They’re Lies.

Ex-homeland security adviser says he warned Trump about debunked Ukraine conspiracy theory

There's no evidence for Trump's Biden-Ukraine accusations. What really happened?

Trump's own staff repeatedly warned him that his theory about Democrats and Ukraine had been debunked

Debunking lies about Trump, Biden, Ukraine, and the whistleblower

Russian State TV Promotes Same Joe Biden Conspiracy Theory Donald Trump Pushed In Call To Ukraine President [Yesterday.]

Reporter Again Debunks the Conspiracy Theory Trump is Spreading about both Bidens:

Impeachment: the five conspiracy theories behind Trump's Ukraine dilemma

Trump ‘even more unhinged than usual’ as impeachment heats up, Democrats warn

A Quick Guide To Trump’s False Claims About The Ukraine and the Bidens.

Trump, Giuliani the Only Dopes Who Believe “Completely Debunked” Biden Conspiracy

Trump’s favorite talking point about the whistleblower has been refuted by his own White House

This is a response that touches on Pres. Trump's behavior -

And it doesn’t matter — even if the Bidens had done something, none of what he did is ok. If they had violated a US law, we have agencies for that. If they violated Ukrainian law, they have organizations for that (which already investigated).

It’s my understanding that soliciting foreign assistance for a campaign is illegal. (If you pay for something, and then report it, that’s different — and public.) . Violating the will of congress in the disbursement of funds (at least without some reason) violates separation of powers. Using official time and resources for his campaign is illegal. “Classifying” information because it’s embarrassing is illegal. Threatening whistleblowers is illegal. And, of course, there are the emoluments clauses, and, and, and…