This is something that would cause a Democratic President a HUGE pushback from Republicans…
It IS a attempt by Donald Trump to appease Russian President Putin seizure of the Crimea area of the Ukraine…
It would even tail undo efforts by American and NATO to hold up Russian’s effort’s to reestablish the Soviet Union…
There is little chance this will occur…
But it IS another indication of how warped Donald Trump’s thinking is concerning helping Putin…
The Trump administration is slow-walking $250 million in military assistance to Ukraine, annoying lawmakers and advocates who argue the funding is critical to keeping Russia at bay.
President Donald Trump asked his national security team to review the funding program, known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, in order to ensure the money is being used in the best interest of the United States, a senior administration official told POLITICO on Wednesday.
But the delays come amid questions over Trump’s approach to Russia, after a weekend in which the president repeatedly seemed to downplay Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine and pushed for Russia to be reinstated into the Group of Seven, an annual gathering of the world’s largest advanced economies. The review is also occurring amid a broader internal debate over whether to halt or cut billions of dollars in foreign aid.
United States military aid to Ukraine has long been seen as a litmus test for how strongly the American government is pushing back against Moscow.
The Trump administration in 2017 approved lethal arms sales to Ukraine, taking a step the Obama administration had never done. The move was seen as a sign that Trump’s government was taking a hard-line approach to a revanchist Vladimir Putin despite the president’s public rhetoric flattering the Russian leader. Scaling back that assistance could expose Trump to allegations that his policies are favoring Moscow.
For the 2019 fiscal year, lawmakers allocated $250 million in security aid to Ukraine, including money for weapons, training, equipment and intelligence support. Specifically, Congress set aside $50 million for weaponry…..
Update….
The Pentagon isn’t agreeing with the thought of cutting aid top the Ukraine…
The Pentagon has completed a review of military assistance to Ukraine ordered by the White House and concluded the aid should continue, a senior official said today.
Congress approved $250 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative in fiscal 2019. President Donald Trump had previously authorized the sale of lethal weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, to help confront separatist forces backed by Russia.
But in recent days the White House Office of Management and Budget has delayed the funds and asked Defense Secretary Mark Esper and national security adviser John Bolton to determine if the program remains in the best interest of the United States, POLITICO reported yesterday.
The move swiftly raised the ire of lawmakers in both parties who see the program as critical to checking Russian military aggression.
The Pentagon appears to agree. “The department has reviewed the foreign assistance package and supports it,” a senior Defense Department official told POLITICO.
The official, who was not authorized to discuss the internal discussions publicly, added that the results of the review have been shared with the White House….
Note…
A pattern IS developing of Trump admin people ‘leaking ‘ crazy idea’s to the media to counter the admin doing thins below the radar that are controversial , dangerous and plain stupid…
image..sputniknews.com
Well, what did you expect when Serge Lavrov became the acting U.S. Secretary of State ?
I forgot ….
Yea….Trump and Moscow ‘Mitch’?
I wonder where Putin’s apartment is at Mar A Largo?
I’m sure that he rates at least a whole bungalow. Remember all that neo-palaeo-czarist paraphernalia.
Probably keeps some money in the Deuch Bank also…