In the wake of the Ukraine affair, the White House should have blocked not only military aid, but also the possible reintroduction of trade benefits for Ukraine. According to research by the Washington Post, it is said that this happened in late August, around the time President Donald Trump demanded that the country investigate the Democrat and US presidential candidate Joe Biden.
According to the Trade Commissioner Robert E. Lighthizer end of August proposed to reintroduce preferential trading conditions for Ukraine according to the so-called Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
Concrete connection to Trump unclear
By contrast, the then National Security Advisor John Bolton is said to have intervened. He told Lighthizer to refrain because US President Trump would likely oppose this proposal. It is unclear, according to the "Washington Post", whether Trump himself was involved in restraining financial aid.
In the so-called Ukraine affair Trump is said to have telephoned at the end of July with the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Selenskyj and asked him to investigate the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The Democrats are considering impeachment Trump.
Trump is said to have blocked targeted military aid for Kiev in the amount of nearly 400 million dollars. The Democrats suspect that they wanted to pressure Kiev to join the plan against Biden. The relief funds were released on 11 September.