Washington • President Donald Trump directed the acting White House chief of staff to freeze more than $391 million in aid to Ukraine in the days before Trump was scheduled to speak by phone with the new Ukrainian president, two senior administration officials said Monday.
Trump’s directive was communicated to the Pentagon and the State Department, which were told only that the administration was looking at whether the spending was necessary, the officials said.
The revelation that Trump ordered the aid package blocked, which was first reported by The Washington Post, adds a vital new element to the raging debate over pressure being put on Ukraine by Trump to investigate unsubstantiated allegations that former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden had engaged in corrupt activities in dealing with Ukraine.