Biden calls for an investigation into a connection between Trump and the President of Ukraine

Former US vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has called for an investigation into reports that US President Donald Trump has pressed his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate Biden and his son.

At an election rally in Iowa, Biden accused President Trump of using his authority in a disgraceful manner and attempting to discredit him, and said Trump was doing so because he knew of his defeat in the election.

For his part, Trump accused his Democratic opponent Biden of demanding when he was vice president to dismiss a Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating the activities of his son, and accused the media of fabricating the story of his contact with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Trump’s telephone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinsky on July 25 is the focus of an escalating crisis over a secret complaint against Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal and other media reported on Friday that Trump had pressed Zelinski more than once to investigate charges that Biden, as vice president, had threatened to halt US aid to Ukraine if a prosecutor was not dismissed. The plaintiff was then investigating a gas case involving Biden.