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CNN — President Donald Trump is heavily considering a plan to block $250 million in military assistance to Ukraine, a move that would further ingratiate him to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Such a decision, which was first reported by Politico, would likely prompt bipartisan uproar from members of Congress who believe US aid is essential to countering Russia's military involvement there.
Multiple sources familiar with the issue tell CNN that the President has floated the idea of halting the funding program for weeks. The White House has recently notified relevant agencies and congressional committees of its intent to block the aid to Ukraine, one source said.
However, that source said that there are still questions about what Trump will ultimately do and US officials are waiting to see where he stands after next week's expected meeting with the Ukrainian President.
The push has been spearheaded by Trump's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney but opposed by some within the State Department and national security council, according to another source. National security adviser John Bolton was in Kiev Wednesday, where he met with Ukrainian officials, but there is little indication he raised the possibility of blocking the funding.
Trump's public deference to Putin and Russia has alarmed US allies and lawmakers. The issue has only been amplified by Trump's recent comments at the G7 summit, in which he seemingly downplayed Russia's military incursion in Ukraine and suggested that Russia be reinstated into the group of leading global economies.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted Wednesday that such a move would be "destructive to our national security."
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