gordon sondland Erik S. Lesser – Pool/Getty

Gordon Sondland, the United States Ambassador to the European Union, told House impeachment investigators on Wednesday that he was forced to work with the president’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to pressure the government of Ukraine into a politically-motivated investigation.

Sondland testified that President Donald Trump instructed him to work with Giuliani, as the latter advocated Ukrainian leadership to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s son’s business dealings in the country. He said outgoing energy secretary Rick Perry and former Ukraine envoy Rick Volker were also part of the group.

„Secretary Perry, Ambassador Volker and I worked with Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine matters at the express direction of the president of the united states.

„We did not want to work with Mr. Giuliani. Simply put, we were playing the hand we were dealt,“ Sondland said.

The impeachment hearings center on President Donald Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine to launch politically motivated investigations while holding up military aid and a White House meeting.

Sondland’s testimony follows a newly revealed phone call between the president and the ambassador, casually discussing the matter.

Calling the president from a cell phone in a Kyiv restaurant, Sondland told the president that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy „loves your a–.“

„So, he’s gonna do the investigation?“ Trump asked in return. Sondland said Zelenskiy was „gonna do it,“ saying he would do „anything you ask him to.“

Sondland took a more serious tone during his testimony on Wednesday, saying he was essentially just following orders, and that he knew that what the president was pushing for was a „quid pro quo.“ He said he kept several top figures in the administration abreast of the plan.

„Everyone was in the loop,“ Sondland said. „It was no secret.“