The Trump administration is withholding approval of close to $30 million worth of arms and ammunition sales to Ukraine. After millions of dollars in down payments, Kyiv has requested the money back.
Deals that typically take two months to move through the State Department have stalled for about one year or longer, according to three Ukrainian officials and one former senior U.S. official with knowledge of the sale who spoke to BuzzFeed. Ukrainian officials said the sales, which include lethal weapons, are essential to the country’s national security, as it continues to defend its eastern region from Russian and separatist Russian proxy forces. They argue that the deals boost the country’s negotiating position in reaching a detente with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine was at the center of the president’s impeachment trial, in which he was charged with abuse of power for withholding $391 million in security aid from the country to pressure Ukrainian leaders to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden.
“It might be wise for the Ukrainians to look for other sources” for their needs, the U.S. official said. Senior administration officials he said he asked gave oblique responses and told him that the deals were still under review.
