Once a budget line, Ukraine aid now roils Trump’s presidency

WASHINGTON (AP) — military assistance pack for Ukraine that’s at center of impeachment inquiry started as a mere line item in a massive spending bill. aid was little discussed, was ncontroversial and was approved with strong bipartisan support.

Sending military equipment and or help to Ukraine h become routine in Congress and was seen as a potent way to deter Russian aggression. Since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Congress has authorized $1.5 billion to Ukraine, and President Donald Trump signed off on delivering anti-tank Javelin missiles in 2017. “From time of Russia’s invasion, we have h unity,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, a strong supporter of Ukraine who sits on a powerful House Appropriations panel with direct control over Pentagon budget.

So, lawmakers were mystified upon learning in August that latest installment of money was being held up on orders of White House. At issue was a $250 million installment of military aid approved last fall and an ditional $141 million in State Department assistance. Trump h ordered aid frozen, a decision put in place by his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney.

One U.S. diplomat told House impeachment investigators that he learned aid was held up in a July 18 conference call. “I and ors sat in astonishment — Ukrainians were fighting Russians and counted on t only training and weapons, but also assurance of U.S. support,” William Taylor said in a statement to lawmakers Wednesday. He accused Trump of holding back “vital security assistance for domestic political reasons,” namely an investigation into a Ukrainian gas company Burisma and debunked claims of Ukrainian interference into 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. “In an instant, I realized that one of key pillars for our strong support of Ukraine was threatened,” Taylor said.

What Taylor and ors did t kw at time was that Trump h asked Ukrainian President Voldomyr Zelenskiy for a “favor,” including an investigation into work done for Burisma by Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden, a Trump political rival. With military assistance still on hold in later summer, alarm bells soon began clanging on Capitol Hill. “It was, like, ’Why? Why would this be? What’s happening?” Kaptur said. “t kwing what else was going on.”

Pro-Ukraine lawmakers said new Ukrainian government h been placed in a desperate position. “re is near panic in Ukraine today about America’s commitment to U.S.-Ukraine relationship and to our continued commitment to Ukrainian sovereignty,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., after visiting Ukraine’s capital last month. “y are desperate for a bipartisan signal from United States that we remain with m.” Congressional aides didn’t catch wind of delay in aid until August, shortly before Politico broke story and set off a scramble in both countries.

mysterious holdup led Senate Majority Leer Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — a strong supporter of funding — to call both Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to demand $250 million Pentagon aid pack be released, along with $141 million in nmilitary assistance. Ors like Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, got involved, as did Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. “I have met President Zelenskiy, who is a pro-America reformer,” Portman wrote on Twitter. “ security assistance should be transferred to #Ukraine w.”

Weeks later, Trump gave Portman credit. “He called up: ‘Please let money go.’ I said ‘Rob, I hate being country that’s always giving money,’” Trump said. “I gave money because Rob Portman and ors called me and asked. But I don’t like to be sucker and European countries are helped far more than we are.” eventual release of aid to Ukraine, however, came only after a key Senate panel was about to deliver an embarrassing rebuke by freezing part of Pentagon’s reiness budget until Ukraine aid was distributed.

ministration released aid night before Appropriations panel was to vote, a move that Graham, a Trump ally, attributed to a White House desire to avoid bipartisan slap. Taylor, in his testimony, said he feared aid was being released because Ukrainians h agreed to investigations that Trump was demanding. But a public commitment was never me.

Mulvaney ackwledged last week that Trump’s decision to hold up military aid to Ukraine was linked to his demand that Ukraine investigate Democratic National Committee and 2016 U.S. campaign. “That’s why we held up money,” Mulvaney said. money was little discussed, was ncontroversial and was approved with strong bipartisan support. So, lawmakers were mystified upon learning in August that $391 million was held up. Trump h ordered aid frozen, a decision carried out by acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

One U.S. diplomat has told House impeachment investigators he learned aid was being withheld in a July 18 conference call. diplomat, William Taylor, said he was astonished by decision. eventual release of aid to Ukraine came only after senators were about to deliver an embarrassing rebuke of White House.