https://www.salon.com/2019/11/13/first-day-of-impeachment-hearings-once-again-all-roads-lead-to-putin/
"It was a chilling reminder that there are no limits for Republicans when it comes to defending Trump. In order to defend their embattled orange president, Republicans went on live TV and threw the entire nation of Ukraine under the bus. Until now, Ukraine has enjoyed strong U.S. support, on a bipartisan basis, for its continued independence from Russian rule or Russian domination. But because of Trump's idiotic conspiracy theories and his resulting crimes, all that is under threat. Putin must be thrilled. At the end of his opening remarks, Taylor discussed his vision of Ukraine's future: "Young people in a young nation, struggling to break free of its past, hopeful that their new government will finally usher in a new Ukraine, proud of its independence from Russia, eager to join Western institutions and enjoy a more secure and prosperous life." One clear story comes out of the first day of impeachment hearings on Donald Trump: His actions threaten that vision of Ukraine. There can be no doubt that Trump took his actions for personal gain, because he wanted to cheat in the 2016 election and demonize his opponent in the 2020 election. But as with so many things Trump has done, his actions also benefited Putin. The Trump-Russia scandal isn't over. After today, it's clear that it's ongoing."
