OBAMA REFUSED TO PROVIDE LETHAL AID
PHILBIN: “I think it was far more serious – and far more jeopardy for the Ukrainians – the decision of the Obama administration to not use the authority that was given by Congress that many of you all and many members of the House of Representatives voted for giving the U.S. Government the authority to provide lethal aid to the Ukrainians. And the Obama Administration decided not to provide the aid.”
UKRAINE POLICY STRONGER UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP
PHILBIN: “And multiple witnesses who were called in the House, by the House Democrats, testified that the United States policy towards Ukraine got stronger under the Trump Administration in part largely because of that lethal aid. Ambassador Yovanovitch, Ambassador Volker, others also testified that US policy in providing that aid was greater support for Ukraine than what was provided in the Obama administration, particularly the provision of Javelin and antitank missiles which they explained were lethal and would kill Russian tanks and change the calculus for aggression for the Russians in the Donbass region in eastern portion of Ukraine where that conflict is still ongoing.”
THE TEMPORARY PAUSE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT
PHILBIN: “The testimony in the record is that this temporary pause was not significant. Ambassador Volker testified that the brief pause on releasing the aid was “not significant” and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale explained that ‘this was future assistance, not to keep the army going now.’”