I believe the GOP Congress appropriated military aid to Ukraine. Obama didn’t give it to them. Might have my facts slightly off but when that war was hot Obama gave them NOTHING. Blankets, disabled anti-mortar radar, etc.
It was passed as part of the 2019 budget on September 15, 2018, with some additions for the Ukraine Nave to repair some of the ships on December 5, 2018, by a Republican Congress. That’s really what is so hilarious about this. Many of these Democrats would never have voted for this, having not wanted a budget at all, but continuing spending resolutions.
Budgetary items are for the entire fiscal year and have no specific time to be expended. There were conditions Congress placed on the Ukraine aid package, among which was that the President had to assure that steps were taken to assure that something was being done about the rampant corruption that was endemic in Ukraine, and particularly in their military procurement procedures. Under the Constitution, that lays on the President to do. . . Not anyone else. He can ask others to do the checking and advise him, again, per the Constitution, but he has to make the final call about whether or not “something” is enough to release those funds.
From October 1, 2018 to the end of May 2019, the Pentagon did its investigation about the Ukraine military’s procurement corruption and finally signed off. 210 or so days delayed. The OMB started to prepare paperwork, but on July 3rd, President Trump put a hold on it, due to not seeing any movement from President Zelensky in changing any people in high positions in the central Ukraine government. The same corrupt people were still in the same positions, even though he had been elected in April. Zelensky was waiting for the mid-July parliamentary elections, when his party would win an overwhelming majority. The July 25th phone call was right after that election. When Zelensky got that majority, he started replacing all those corrupt people. When Trump got several reports from Pence, Senator Johnson, etc., that Zelensky was the real corruption fighter he claimed he was, he lifted the hold on the aid.
The war is currently stable with no movement for almost a year. . . Both glaring at each other over established lines.