Pentagon moves to provide additional military aid to Ukraine, citing progress on reforms
The Pentagon has notified Congress that Ukraine's government has made the necessary progress on key institutional reforms, thereby justifying an additional $125 million in new military assistance, CNN reported referring to a US defense official and a congressional aide.
That certification that Kyiv was making progress in countering corruption, improving transparency and boosting civilian oversight was required by law to permit the assistance package moving forward.
The package is the second half of the $250 million in Ukraine Security Assistance that was appropriated by Congress in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
Pentagon spokesperson said the new assistance package included mobile radar systems designed to detect and track incoming artillery and rocket fire, dozens of ambulances, secure communications equipment, including 100 "tactical tablets" and the two patrol boats.
The articles of impeachment said the Trump administration blocked the previous aid tranche to Ukraine in an effort to get Kiev to investigate an energy company linked to the Biden family. Trump's attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, his potential political rival, were at the center of the impeachment trial.
Trump administration officials at times cited corruption in Ukraine as justification for freezing the aid, however, that justification was undermined by the Pentagon's certification at the time that Kiev was making progress in combating corruption.