Pentagon official in charge of Ukraine aid Cooper resigns
A senior official of the US Department of Defense, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian Affairs Laura Cooper is resigning.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Voice of America.
"Her departure reflects a growing sense of anxiety in the Pentagon about the new administration and how it plans to treat career civil servants and military officers," Politico commented.
Cooper was considered a leading expert on Ukrainian and Russian issues and a key official in coordinating US military assistance and organizing international support for Ukraine. She has been in charge of Ukraine and Russia since the first Trump administration and has spent more than two decades at the Pentagon. She once testified before Congress as part of Trump's impeachment trial, including on alleged attempts by then-President Trump to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.
The Defense Department did not disclose the reason for Cooper's dismissal, but media reports suggest that the possible reason was the uncertainty of the policy toward Ukraine.
Cooper played a significant role in coordinating the massive delivery of US military aid to Ukraine after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Politico recalls. Pentagon and State Department officials told the publication that she may fear retaliation from Trump "for her testimony and ties to Biden-era Ukrainian policy."
At the 2023 congressional hearings, Cooper stated that Ukraine was ready for the upcoming liberation of the Russian-occupied territory: "Ukraine is well prepared and equipped. Although the course of the war is dynamic and unpredictable, we have great confidence in the capabilities and readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine." She also emphasized that Russia's aggressive war is a serious danger not only for Ukraine but also for Europe, as well as for the basic principles of sovereignty and democracy.
On Ukraine's Independence Day, 2024, Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Laura Cooper the Order of Princess Olha, II Class.
