乌克兰政界人士和外交政策专家正在权衡本国的选择，越来越多的人担心，克里姆林宫可能会从唐纳德·特朗普总统和乌克兰总统之间的电话对话争议中获益最大。
争议涉及特朗普是否在7月25日的电话中向乌克兰总统沃洛迪米尔·泽兰斯基施压，要求调查前副总统、民主党总统候选人乔·拜登，而美国的军事援助计划却岌岌可危。乌克兰专家担心，如果基辅站在一边，它可能会疏远共和党人或民主党人。
乌克兰多年来一直依赖美国国会两党对俄罗斯侵略的支持，当莫斯科在2014年非法吞并克里米亚时，华盛顿站在基辅一边。美国继续提供资金是解决乌克兰东部冲突不断的东巴斯地区俄罗斯支持的民兵组织的关键。
Zelensky在国内的支持率目前徘徊在70%左右，他的选民可能会接受他对这一呼吁的解释。然而，专家警告说，它在华盛顿的下降将是重要的。
2017年9月21日，在第72届联合国大会上，唐纳德·特朗普总统在乌克兰和美国国旗前合影。他7月份与乌克兰总统沃洛季米尔·泽兰斯基的谈话引发了争议。
总部设在基辅的新欧洲中心主任阿利安娜·格特曼斯克告诉记者新闻周刊泽兰斯基处境艰难，因为乌克兰发现自己陷入了美国国内的政治斗争。
“如果泽兰斯基证实有对话和压力，他会破坏他与特朗普的第一次接触和关系，”她说。“如果泽兰斯基说，‘有一次谈话，我们简短地讨论了调查，但他没有对我施加压力’，这将被视为为美国总统辩护的举措。”Getmaxk解释说，这可能是“有问题的”，因为“我们的关键任务是确保两党继续支持。”
一些资深民主党人恢复了对特朗普进行弹劾听证会的讨论，原因是一名情报界告密者声称，特朗普要求外国政府调查一名政治对手。
“我已经担心乌克兰已经成为国内政治和总统竞选的一个话题，泽兰斯基在纽约会见特朗普时所说的一切都可能被用来反对他和乌克兰，”格特曼斯克说。泽兰斯基和特朗普定于周三在联合国大会期间会面。
“这是一场外交灾难，”她补充道。"很明显，这个故事的唯一赢家是普京。"
基辅的反腐败行动中心也表达了这种担忧，一位未透露姓名的欧洲高级外交官也表达了这种担忧讲述华盛顿邮报基辅的难题“真的不会变得更糟”。
乌克兰前外交部副部长丹尼罗·卢基夫斯基，告诉报纸，“这不全是关于乌克兰的。不要把一些国内问题强加给乌克兰，而乌克兰正在与俄罗斯的侵略作斗争，并为其独立和自由而斗争。”
前国务卿约翰·克里称共和党正在“寻求庇护”引发告密者投诉的电话。
特朗普表示，他在电话中“绝对没有做错任何事”，他说这是“祝贺”，是针对腐败的。
康涅狄格州众议员吉姆·希姆斯告诉美国有线电视新闻网，这场争论可能会加速弹劾进程。“敲诈外国领导人是为了让他做你的政治工作，试图找到你对手的把柄，这是敲诈，”他周一说新的一天。“它利用美利坚合众国的资产和公众信任来为自己的腐败谋利...目的，当然是政治目的。”
他说，“我不能告诉你众议院会马上进入弹劾模式，但这确实增加了赌注。”
TRUMP'S PHONE CALL WITH UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT IS A 'DIPLOMATIC DISASTER' FOR KIEV AND WILL STRENGTHEN RUSSIA, SAYS THINK TANK: 'THE ONLY WINNER IN THIS STORY IS PUTIN'
Ukrainian politicians and foreign policy experts are weighing their country's options amid growing concerns that the Kremlin may benefit most from the controversy over the phone conversation between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart.
The controversy involves whether Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a July 25 call to investigate Joe Biden, the former vice president and a top Democratic presidential contender, while a U.S. military aid package was on the line. Ukrainian experts fear if Kiev takes a side, it could alienate Republicans or Democrats.
Ukraine has for years relied on bipartisan U.S. congressional support against Russian aggression, with Washington siding with Kiev when Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. Continued U.S. funding is key to tackling Russia-backed militias in the conflict-ridden Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky's domestic support within his country currently hovers around 70 percent, and his electorate is likely to accept his explanation about the call. However, how it goes down in Washington will be significant, experts warn.
President Donald Trump is pictured in front of Ukrainian and American flags at a meeting during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly September 21, 2017. His conversation in July with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sparked controversy.
Alyona Getmanchuk, director of the Kiev-based New Europe Center, told Newsweek Zelensky is in a tight spot, as Ukraine finds itself caught in a domestic U.S. political battle.
"If Zelensky confirms there was a conversation and there was pressure, he would spoil his first contact and relations with Trump," she said. "If Zelensky says, 'There was a conversation, we discussed briefly investigations, but he didn't put pressure on me,' it would be seen as a move to defend the American president." That could be "problematic," Getmanchuk explained, because "our key task is to secure continuation of bipartisan support."
Some senior Democrats have revived talk of impeachment hearings against Trump over the claim by an intelligence community whistleblower that the president asked a foreign government to investigate a political opponent.
"I am already afraid that Ukraine has become a subject in internal politics and the presidential campaign and everything that Zelensky would say in New York when he plans to meet Trump could be used against him and against Ukraine," Getmanchuk said. Zelensky and Trump are scheduled to meet in person Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
"It is a diplomatic disaster," she added. "It is clear that the only winner in this story is Putin."
The Anti-Corruption Action Center in Kiev has echoed this concern, and an unnamed senior European diplomat told The Washington Post that the conundrum "really couldn't get worse" for Kiev.
A former Ukrainian deputy foreign minister, Danylo Lubkivsky, told the paper, "This is not all about Ukraine. Don't impose some domestic issues, problems on Ukraine, while Ukraine fights against Russia's aggression and struggles for its independence and freedom."
Former Secretary of State John Kerry said the Republican Party is "running for cover" over the call that sparked the whistleblower complaint.
Trump has said he did "absolutely nothing wrong" in the call, which he said was "congratulatory" and focused on corruption.
Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut told CNN that the controversy could accelerate the march toward impeachment. "Extorting a foreign leader for the purposes of getting that leader to do your political work, to try to find dirt on your opponent, is extortion," he said Monday on New Day. "It is using the assets of the United States of America and the public trust for your own corrupt...ends, certainly political ends."
Himes said, "I can't tell you that the House will move into impeachment mode right away, but this really ups the ante."
