The battle lines have been drawn between Republicans and members of the administration of President Joe Biden. On Thursday, House and Senate Republicans released a letter addressed to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan demanding the total figures for financial aid given to Ukraine during the Trump administration.
The letter, signed by GOP leaders on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and House Committee on Oversight and Reform, said that “Despite several requests from both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, the Biden administration has yet to provide a full accounting of how much money was sent to Ukraine during the Trump administration.” The Republican lawmakers went on to note that “Without a full understanding of the financial flows between the United States and Ukraine, Congress and the American public cannot be assured that the money was used for its intended purposes.”
The letter also took the opportunity to link the current administration to the withdrawal of aid to Ukraine late last year by the Trump government. “Moreover, the Biden administration’s decision to reverse the Trump administration’s decision to freeze security assistance to Ukraine raises questions about the appropriateness of the decision.”
The Biden administration has stated that they have been forthcoming in outlining the aid given to Ukraine, and that the GOP letter is politically motivated. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki noted that it was “all publicly known” and that the administration “understands the importance of fully accounting for all the funds allocated to assist Ukraine.”
Despite the critique from Republican lawmakers, the Biden administration has moved forward in providing assistance to Ukraine, restoring a $750 million loan guarantee previously revoked by the Trump Administration. The decision came after a meeting between President Biden and Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
Republicans are continuing to press the Biden administration for more information on the Biden administration’s Ukraine aid policies. What will happen next in the debate over Ukraine is yet to be seen, but it is clear that for now, the two parties will remain at odds over the matter.