Devex: Trump’s Ukraine defense sparks questions about mixing aid with politics
“…While U.S. security assistance — arms and defensive equipment for foreign governments and militaries — and U.S. humanitarian and development assistance serve different functions and flow from different parts of the U.S. government, [Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick] Mulvaney’s argument described them both as part of the same basic philosophy. Aid experts who spoke to Devex differ about whether or not Trump’s suspension of security assistance to Ukraine constitutes a clear violation of the constitution. But they generally agree that the episode highlights a general breakdown in the administration’s understanding of how aid serves the U.S. national interest. In addition, Mulvaney’s remarks resurfaced questions about when it is, and is not appropriate to use assistance in pursuit of narrow interests, as opposed to the broader aim of attempting to help people in need or contribute to a more prosperous world…” (Igoe, 11/1).