US President Donald Trump held a press conference at the White House on Wednesday.

There was nothing much out of the ordinary - except for the large, handwritten notes he read from.

Before leaving Washington for Texas, he read a statement that appeared to be written in a black Sharpie pen.

In large letters, the statement read: "I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zellinsky to do the right thing. This is the final word from the Pres of the U.S."

US President Donald Trump reads his notes as he speaks to the media about the impeachment hearings on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington | Image: Gripas Yuri/ABACA/ABACA/PA Images

This relates to the ongoing impeachment inquiry against him.

The US ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, earlier said that officials pushed for a "quid pro quo" arrangement with Ukraine on behalf of Mr Trump.

US President Donald Trump holds notes as he speaks to the media about the impeachment hearings on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington | Image: Jacquelyn Martin/AP/Press Association Images

Mr Sondland told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that officials pressured Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce an investigation into the son of Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden in return for a White House visit.

He said the president ordered him to work with his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, on everything to do with Ukraine - and confirmed that Mr Giuliani was actively pushing for a "quid pro quo" arrangement.

US President Donald Trump speaks to the media about the impeachment hearings on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington | Image: Gripas Yuri/ABACA/ABACA/PA Images

"We did not want to work with Mr Giuliani - simply put, we were playing the hand we were dealt.

"We all understood that if we refused to work with Mr Giuliani, we would lose a very important opportunity to cement relations between the United States and Ukraine.

"So we followed the president's orders", he added.