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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Brumar89 who wrote (1179920)	11/23/2019 6:45:27 AM
From: Brumar89	2 Recommendations Recommended By pocotrader rdkflorida2 Respond to of 1573048

There's a huge loophole in the GOP's claim that Trump's sale of Javelin missiles to Ukraine shows his support for the country President Donald Trump's GOP allies in Congress have touted his administration's sale of Javelin missiles to Ukraine as evidence he's supported it against Russian aggression.But Republicans have left out that the Ukrainians cannot actually use the anti-tank missiles in the conflict against pro-Russian separatists based on the terms of the sale. A top staffer in the US embassy in Ukraine on Thursday testified that the Javelins serve as an important deterrent but aren't "actively employed in combat operations right now." Republicans involved in the impeachment inquiry have repeatedly touted the Trump administration's sale of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine as evidence the president is supportive of the country against Russian aggression, but they've left out key details in the process. Under the rules of the sale, the Javelin missiles have to be stored in western Ukraine, which is far from the frontlines of the ongoing conflict in the eastern part of the country (the Donbas region) against pro-Russia separatists. In short, the Javelins were essentially provided to Ukraine under the condition that they not be used in the conflict zone. Accordingly, the Javelins have yet to be used in the fighting, though US personnel are training some Ukrainian forces how to use them against tanks. 'They've had symbolic and psychological impact'Experts on Ukraine have offered mixed reviews on the impact of the US-provided anti-tank missiles, but largely seem to agree they serve as a deterrent against Russia. Charles Kupchan, former director for European affairs on the National Security Council in the Obama administration, recently told Slate that the missiles "have not been deployed anywhere near the battlefront." Kupchan added: "They've had symbolic and psychological impact." Meanwhile, David Holmes, a top staffer at the US embassy in Ukraine and witness in the impeachment inquiry, told House investigators on Thursday that the Javelins provide an "important strategic deterrent." He added that the weapons are "not actively employed in combat operations right now." The Javelin missiles were mentioned in a phone call at the center of the impeachment inquiry.Javelins were mentioned in the July 25 phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that led to a whistleblower complaint and spiraled into an impeachment inquiry, and they've repeatedly come up in the public impeachment hearings. During the call, Trump urged Zelensky to launch investigations into his political rivals — including former Vice President Joe Biden. At the time, Trump had placed roughly $400 million of congressionally-approved security assistance to Ukraine on hold, and the president is accused of dangling the aid over Zelensky as part of a broad scheme to pressure him into launching the investigations. The aid was ultimately released on September 11, less than a week after three House committees launched investigations into his administration's efforts to pressure Ukraine to help his reelection camapgin. As the impeachment inquiry has escalated, Trump has faced harsh criticism for freezing the security assistance, and allegations of risking both US and Ukrainian national security for personal gain. But Republican lawmakers like Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York have pointed to Trump's sale of the missiles to Ukraine to counter the narrative that Trump places his personal political agenda above national security concerns. Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted a clip of one such exchange in defense of the president.