The Democratic-controlled US House Judiciary Committee has unveiled charges against President Donald Trump, a key move in impeaching him.

The first article revealed by committee Chief Jerry Nadler accuses Mr Trump of abuse of power and the second accuses him of obstructing Congress.

The president is said to have withheld aid to Ukraine for domestic political reasons.

He insists he has done “nothing wrong” and dismissed the process as “madness”.

If the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee votes to approve the articles later this week, they will then be submitted to the lower chamber for a full vote.

If, in turn, the articles are approved by the House – which is controlled by the Democrats – an impeachment trial in the Republican-held Senate will take place, possibly early in January.

The impeachment process was launched after an anonymous whistleblower complained to Congress in September about a July phone call by Mr. Trump to the president of Ukraine.