Biden Ties $1B Ukraine Loan Guarantee to Firing of Top Prosecutor

Joe Biden Pressures Ukraine to Fire Prosecutor — PEN Media

PEN Media

During a visit to Kyiv, Joe Biden warned Ukrainian leaders that the U.S. would withhold a $1 billion loan guarantee within six hours unless they immediately removed the country's state prosecutor.

AI-assisted summary of Joe Biden Pressures Ukraine to Fire Prosecutor — original source. Check the original for full context.

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Key ideas

  • Joe Biden recounted leveraging a $1 billion U.S. loan guarantee during an official visit to Kyiv to force the removal of Ukraine's state prosecutor. (0:00)
  • Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk initially resisted, challenging Biden's authority to withhold the financial package. (0:00)
  • Biden delivered a strict six-hour ultimatum tied to his flight departure, stating the loan guarantee would be canceled if the prosecutor was not fired immediately. (0:00)
  • Ukrainian leadership yielded before the deadline expired, dismissing the state prosecutor and appointing a replacement approved by U.S. officials. (0:00)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube by PEN Media on September 23, 2019, this short clip features Joe Biden discussing diplomatic negotiations with Ukraine. According to the video's description, Biden is seen boasting about threatening to withhold $1 billion in U.S. funding unless Ukrainian officials fired the state prosecutor who was reportedly investigating Burisma Holdings, where Hunter Biden served on the board.

## TL;DR In this recounting of a diplomatic trip to Kyiv, Joe Biden describes confronting Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk over an unfulfilled commitment to remove Ukraine's state prosecutor. Just prior to an official press conference, Biden halted the proceedings and warned that the United States would withhold a pledged $1 billion loan guarantee. When Ukrainian leaders questioned his authority, Biden instructed them to call the U.S. president and set a rigid six-hour deadline tied to his departure flight. The high-pressure ultimatum succeeded, resulting in the prosecutor's immediate firing and the appointment of a trustworthy successor.

## Atmosphere & style The presentation carries a candid, swaggering, and conversational tone, with Biden recounting high-stakes geopolitical maneuvering like an anecdotal barroom negotiation. Speaking with blunt colloquialisms and self-assured timing—punctuated by his quip, 'Well, son of a bitch, he got fired'—the narrative style turns foreign aid diplomacy into a swift, hard-nosed power play. It feels casual yet assertive, conveying the personal confidence of a veteran politician reflecting on executive leverage in real time.

## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Joe Biden recounted leveraging a $1 billion U.S. loan guarantee during an official visit to Kyiv to force the removal of Ukraine's state prosecutor. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk initially resisted, challenging Biden's authority to withhold the financial package. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Biden delivered a strict six-hour ultimatum tied to his flight departure, stating the loan guarantee would be canceled if the prosecutor was not fired immediately. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Ukrainian leadership yielded before the deadline expired, dismissing the state prosecutor and appointing a replacement approved by U.S. officials.

## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) The diplomatic confrontation occurred during what Biden estimated was his twelfth or thirteenth visit to Kyiv. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Biden had previously lobbied the U.S. administration and policy teams to approve an additional $1 billion loan guarantee for Ukraine. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) The release of the $1 billion guarantee was conditioned on promises to remove Ukraine's top state prosecutor. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk had made explicit commitments to act against the prosecutor but had not done so by Biden's arrival. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Biden halted a scheduled joint press conference meant to formally announce the financial backing upon learning the agreement was unfulfilled. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Biden directly informed Ukrainian leadership that the $1 billion in loan guarantees would be withheld. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Ukrainian officials pushed back, arguing that Biden lacked the standing and authority of the U.S. head of state to make such threats. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Biden dismissed the challenge to his authority by instructing the Ukrainian officials to call the U.S. president directly. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) A rigid six-hour deadline was imposed by Biden, tied strictly to his planned flight departure out of Kyiv. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) The ultimatum successfully forced the dismissal of the state prosecutor before Biden's scheduled departure. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Following the termination, Ukrainian officials appointed a successor whom Biden described as 'solid.'

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA&t=0s) Biden’s Ultimatum in Kyiv Over the State Prosecutor

Joe Biden recounts an official diplomatic visit to Kyiv—noting it was roughly his twelfth or thirteenth trip there—where he was slated to announce a major financial package. Biden had spent effort convincing the administration and relevant teams that the United States should provide loan guarantees to Ukraine, specifically another $1 billion loan guarantee. However, this financial backing was contingent on previous assurances from top Ukrainian leaders. Biden explains that he had previously secured explicit commitments from Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk that they would take decisive action against the country's state prosecutor, but upon arrival, he discovered they had failed to follow through on that promise.

Just as the leaders were preparing to head out to a scheduled press conference, Biden intervened to halt the announcement. When they attempted to proceed, Biden informed them directly that the United States would not be releasing the funds. The Ukrainian officials pushed back against the threat, challenging his jurisdiction and arguing that he lacked the standing of the American head of state. As Biden describes the confrontation, “They said you have no authority, you're not the president, the president said—I said call him.”

Refusing to back down, Biden laid down a rigid deadline tied to his departure schedule later that day. Recounting the blunt exchange, Biden recalls telling them: “I'm looking, I said, I'm leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor's not fired, you're not getting the money.” The high-stakes gambit worked immediately before his departure window expired, resulting in the prosecutor's removal and the subsequent selection of a replacement deemed trustworthy. Reflecting on the abrupt resolution, Biden quips, “Well, son of a bitch, he got fired, and they put in place someone who was solid.”

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Biden's Ukraine Loan Guarantee Ultimatum accDescr: Sequence showing Joe Biden withholding a billion-dollar loan guarantee until Ukraine fired its state prosecutor.

subgraph Commitment["Original Agreement"] A["U.S. prepares $1B loan guarantee"] --> B["Poroshenko & Yatsenyuk pledge to remove State Prosecutor"] end

subgraph Conflict["Kyiv Standoff"] B -.->|"Commitment broken"| C["Biden halts press announcement"] C --> D{"Ukrainian Leaders Object:<br>'You're not the president'"} D --> E["Biden: 'Call him... leaving in 6 hours'"] end

subgraph Resolution["Outcome"] E --> F["State Prosecutor is fired"] F --> G["Solid replacement appointed & funds cleared"] end ```

- **U.S. Aid Package:** A $1 billion U.S. loan guarantee program earmarked for Ukraine. - **Key Figures Involved:** Vice President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. - **Ultimatum Window:** A six-hour deadline set by Biden before his scheduled flight out of Kyiv.

## Mentioned Joe Biden, Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, United States, Hunter Biden, Burmisa Holdings

## Video description Joe Biden was caught on video bragging that he threatened to withhold $1 billion in funding from Ukraine unless they fired the Prosecutor who was investigating Burmisa Holdings.

Biden's son Hunter Biden was on the board of Burmisa Holdings at the time.

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jyT1rnW9fA)

中文简报

拜登将10亿美元对乌贷款担保与解雇总检察长挂钩 在访问基辅期间，乔·拜登警告乌克兰领导人，除非立即解雇该国总检察长，否则美国将在六小时内扣留10亿美元的贷款担保。 在对基辅外交访问的回忆中，乔·拜登描述了他就乌克兰未能兑现解雇该国总检察长的承诺，与乌克兰总统彼得罗·波罗申科和总理阿尔谢尼·亚采纽克对质的情景。就在正式新闻发布会召开前夕，拜登叫停了议程，并警告称美国将扣留已承诺的10亿美元贷款担保。当乌克兰领导人质疑其权限时，拜登让他们给美国总统打电话，并结合自己的离境航班设定了六小时的严格期限。这一高压通牒取得了成效，导致该检察长被立即解雇，并任命了一位值得信赖的继任者。 乔·拜登回忆称，自己在正式访问基辅期间利用10亿美元的美国贷款担保作为筹码，迫使乌克兰解雇该国总检察长。 (0:00) 乌克兰总统彼得罗·波罗申科和总理阿尔谢尼·亚采纽克最初表示抵触，质疑拜登扣留该财政援助包的权限。 (0:00) 拜登给出了结合其离境航班的严格的六小时最后通牒，表示如果不立即解雇总检察长，该贷款担保将被取消。 (0:00) 乌克兰领导层在最后期限前妥协，解雇了该国总检察长，并任命了一名获美方官员认可的继任者。 (0:00)

Reading summary

During a diplomatic mission to Kyiv, then-Vice President Joe Biden leveraged a $1 billion U.S. loan guarantee to compel Ukrainian leaders to dismiss the nation's top prosecutor. Conditioning Financial Guarantees on Anti-Corruption Pledges (0:00) According to Joe Biden, the United States had prepared a $1 billion loan guarantee package for Ukraine, an initiative he had actively advocated within the U.S. administration. However, the release of these funds was strictly conditioned on prior commitments from Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk to take decisive action against the state prosecutor. Upon arriving in Kyiv for what he estimated was his twelfth or thirteenth trip, Biden determined that the Ukrainian leadership had not fulfilled their agreement. Diplomatic Standoff and Jurisdictional Pushback (0:00) When Ukrainian officials prepared to proceed with a scheduled joint press conference to announce the financial package, Biden intervened to halt the event and declared that the funds would be withheld. Ukrainian leaders pushed back against the maneuver, arguing that Biden lacked the constitutional authority of the U.S. president. Biden countered by instructing them to contact the president directly, demonstrating that the executive branch fully backed his hardline position. The Six-Hour Ultimatum and Dismissal (0:00) To force immediate compliance, Biden established a strict deadline tethered to his departure flight later that day, informing leadership that the loan guarantee would be canceled if the prosecutor was not removed within six hours. The pressure tactic led to the swift dismissal of the state prosecutor before Biden's scheduled departure, after which Ukrainian authorities appointed a replacement whom Biden regarded as trustworthy. The account demonstrates how targeted economic aid was used as unilateral diplomatic leverage to enforce institutional personnel changes in Ukraine, though the notes do not detail the long-term institutional impacts beyond the appointment of the successor.

精炼阅读摘要

乔·拜登（Joe Biden）公开回忆其在访问乌克兰基辅期间，曾以扣留美国10亿美元贷款担保为手段，迫使乌克兰最高领导层在六小时内解雇了该国国家检察官。 贷款担保与撤换检察官的前置绑定 (0:00) 拜登讲述了其在第十二次或第十三次出访基辅时的交涉经历。在此之前，他曾游说美国政府及相关团队向乌克兰提供另一笔10亿美元的贷款担保，但这项援助的前提是乌克兰领导层必须采取果断行动处理其国家检察官。拜登称，乌克兰总统彼得罗·波罗申科（Petro Poroshenko）与总理阿尔谢尼·亚采纽克（Arseniy Yatsenyuk）先前已就解雇该检察官做出了明确承诺，但当他抵达基辅准备正式宣布援助时，却发现乌方并未落实该承诺。 职权争议与六小时离境通牒 (0:00) 在原定的新闻发布会前夕，拜登当场制止了公布计划，并告知乌方官员美国将停止发放这笔资金。乌克兰领导层对此提出异议，质疑拜登并非美国总统、无权代表国家元首下达此类指令；拜登则要求对方直接致电美国总统核实。随后，拜登给出了以其乘机离境时间为限的最后通牒：若乌方在六小时内未将该国家检察官撤职，乌克兰将无法获得这笔10亿美元的财政援助。 检察官免职与后续人选更替 (0:00) 在拜登设定的六小时最后期限到期之前，施压手段迅速奏效，乌克兰方面正式撤换了该国家检察官，并任命了一名被拜登评价为“可靠过硬”（solid）的新人选。拜登将此举视为一次直接的策略成功，乌方在最后关头妥协解职该检察官后，相应的资金支持障碍得以消除。 该叙述主要呈现了拜登本人对其动用美国对外金融援助直接干预乌克兰高级司法官员人事任免的个人陈述，未包含乌克兰当事方对这场交锋的表态，亦未展开探讨该检察官被撤职背后的司法与政治争议背景。

Original transcript

[0:00] uh I remember going over convincing our [0:03] team our others to convincing us that we [0:06] should be providing for loan guarantees [0:08] and I went over I guess the 12th 13th [0:12] time to Kiev and and I was going [0:15] supposed to announce that there was [0:16] another billion dollar loan guarantee [0:18] and I had gotten a commitment from [0:21] poroshenko and from yachts and hook that [0:25] they would take action against the state [0:26] prosecutor and they didn't so they said [0:29] they had it they were walking out to [0:30] Prescott said no I said I'm not gonna or [0:33] we're not going to give you the billion [0:34] dollars they said you have no authority [0:36] you're not the president the president [0:38] said I said call him I said I'm telling [0:41] you're not getting a billion dollars I [0:43] said you're not getting a billion I'm [0:44] gonna be leaving here I think it was [0:46] about six hours I looked I said believe [0:47] in six hours if the prosecutors not [0:50] fired you're not getting the money Oh [0:51] son of a got fired and they put in [0:56] place someone who was solid