Jewish Democrats ‘outraged’ over Trump move to freeze Ukraine aid

The Jewish Democratic Council of America is joining other members of the US political party in condemning President Donald Trump’s decision to cut off military aid to Ukraine.

“Trump makes a mockery of our democracy at home, while betraying our allies fighting to protect their democracy abroad,” the group says in an emailed statement, accusing the president of aligning with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. “We’re outraged and stand with the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom.”

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warns the consequences of Trump’s move “will undoubtedly be devastating.”

“By freezing military aid to Ukraine, President Trump has kicked the door wide open for Putin to escalate his violent aggression against innocent Ukrainians,” she says.

Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman, who served as counsel to House Democrats in the first impeachment inquiry against Trump, says the pausing of aid is baldly aimed at extorting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for access to his country’s trove of minerals coveted by the US president.

“This is the exact opposite of peace through strength,” Goldman says. “Instead, what it is is it’s another extortion of President Zelensky, illegally withholding aid in order to get President Zelensky to agree to a minerals deal.”

Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, who is co-chair of the Congressional EU Caucus, says the decision “is reckless, indefensible, and a direct threat to our national security.”

“This aid was approved by Congress on a bipartisan basis — Republicans and Democrats alike recognized that standing with Ukraine is standing for democracy and against Putin’s aggression,” Boyle says in a statement. “Yet, Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin and undermined our allies, is now playing political games with critical military assistance.”