US ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland gives his opening statement in Washington on Wednesday. Picture: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Washington – Ambassador Gordon Sondland told House impeachment investigators on Wednesday that he worked with Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine at the “express direction” of President Donald Trump and pushed for a political “quid pro quo” with Kiev because it was what Trump wanted.

“Mr Giuliani was expressing the desires of the president of the United States and we knew that these investigations were important to the president,” said Sondland, the most highly anticipated witness.

In a blockbuster morning of testimony, Sondland’s opening remarks included several key details: He confirmed that he spoke with Trump on a cellphone from a busy Kiev restaurant the day after the president prodded Ukraine’s leader to investigate political rival Joe Biden. 

He also said he kept Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other top administration officials aware of his dealings with Ukraine on the investigations Trump sought. 

Sondland said he specifically told Vice-President Mike Pence he “had concerns” that the US military aid to Ukraine “had become tied” to the investigations.