(Sept 13) On Thursday the US Senate Appropriations Committee announced that the Trump administration has agreed to release $250 million of previously frozen military aid to the Ukraine.
The announcement
The Hill reported: "The Departments of State and Defense are proceeding with the obligation of all military and security assistance funding to Ukraine," a senior administration official said. "The Administration supports Ukraine’s efforts of reform and self-defense, and these funds will advance Ukrainian efforts toward those ends."
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell praised the release of the funds, saying: "It would have been a mistake to hold back our assistance to the brave people of Ukraine. Doing so would have undermined our partners in Ukraine and Eastern Europe and further emboldened the Kremlin."
US Congress wants to help Ukraine fight separatists
The Trump administration has been reviewing a lot of aid programs questioning whether US interests were advanced including the arms deal with the Ukraine. However, the US Congress has been pushing to have Ukrainian arms transfers to continue as a way to help the Ukraine to fight ethnic Russian separatists in the Ukraine.
An earlier report had noted: "The White House is reviewing whether $250 million in military assistance should be sent to Ukraine in keeping with President Donald Trump's view that U.S. foreign aid must be justified, two senior administration officials said on Thursday...“The president has made no secret when it comes to foreign assistance that U.S. interests abroad should be prioritized and other foreign countries should also be paying their fair share," said one of the officials, who shared details of the plan on condition of anonymity."
The aid had already been delayed for months. If the aid had not been authorized by the end of this month it would have been cancelled. However, the Trump administration has finally decided to accede to the wishes of the US Congress.
Threats may have forced Trump to allow the aid
Some members of the US Congress were apparently threatening to hold up billions of dollars of funding for the Pentagon if the Ukrainian aid was not approved. Some believe that this was what ultimately led the Trump administration to approve the aid before it was canceled. Trump's interest in cutting foreign aid may continue to influence policy going forward.
The two sides were recently able to arrange a significant prisoner exchange as shown on the appended video.
Previously published in the Digital Journal
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