Trump's Freezing Military Aid to Kiev Was Set Illegal

The control and audit body of the US Congress considered that the White House Administrative Budget Office violated the law by holding back multimillion-dollar payments to Ukraine. The White House Administrative Budget Office (ABO) violated the law by retaining approximately $ 214 million (€ 192 million) earmarked by the Pentagon for military assistance to Ukraine in 2019. This legal decision was made on Thursday, January 16, by the U.S. General Audit Office (GAO, the Congressional Audit Office). Funds were provided under the Ukraine Security Support Initiative, a program of the US Department of Defense, approved by the Congress in the fiscal year 2016. The GAO recalled that the US president has only "narrow, limited powers to withhold appropriations under the Congressional Budget Control Act of 1974." The administration, as part of the head of the American state authority, informed the GAO that funds had been withheld in order to make sure that they would not be spent "in a way that could run counter to US foreign policy." However, according to the GAO such wording was contrary to the law, as it is legally prohibited to ABO "holding funds for political reasons." Millions for weapons and intelligence equipment aquisition The fact that Trump's national defense advisers got instructions to review the transfer of about $ 250 million to the Ukrainian side reported the Politico on August 28, 2019, citing a senior administration official. These funds were intended for weapons, equipment, reconnaissance equipment and military training acquisition for the Ukrainian side. A separate article, in particular, was the acquisition by Kiev of military products, for which the US Congress allocated approximately $ 50 million (€ 45 million). Donald Trump demanded that his advisers make sure that these funds will be used in the interests of the United States. The assessment, in particular, was carried out by US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and John Bolton presidential adviser. As recalled, the revision information appeared against the backdrop of Trump's repeated attempts to downplay Moscow’s interference in the situation in eastern Ukraine and within the American’s leader recent statements about the need to return Russia to the G8 format. Politico specified that allocated to Ukraine funds could not be spent during program revision. At the same time, the access to them should have been closed after September 30, 2019, when the fiscal year in the United States ended. Pressure on Kiev According to some Democrats, the Trump administration could freeze the transfer of funds to increase pressure on the authorities in Kiev. Those allegedly were supposed to contribute to Trump’s re-election campaign as president of the United States opening an investigation into one of Trump’s main rivals in the 2020 election, Reuters said. Earlier, The New York Times reported that Trump's lawyer Rudolf Giuliani “urged” Kiev authorities to open an investigation against former US Vice President Joe Biden to find out if his trips to Ukraine could be related to his son’s business interests. Power Abuse The basis of one of the accusations - " power abuse " - currently on trial in the Senate on  president impeachment, was the accusation that Donald Trump could seek Ukraine to conduct an investigation into his likely rival in the upcoming presidential election - Biden - and in order to exert pressure on Kiev, he suspended military assistance to Ukraine. The funds were unlocked on September 11, 2019. The Senate Appropriations Committee then clarified that funding had been unfrozen a few hours before its members were to discuss an amendment to the defense spending bill, which would further limit US President’s interference in similar decisions.