Pentagon could downgrade Ukraine aid office - Media
The US is planning a major reshuffle at the Pentagon. The office that has coordinated military assistance to Kyiv may be downgraded, Defence News reports.
According to three former US defense officials and two European officials, the Pentagon is likely to downgrade the political office that played a key role in the military's response to the war in Ukraine.
Sources told the outlet that, as part of a broader reorganization of the Pentagon’s policy apparatus, the office responsible for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasian affairs will be moved into a broader division focused on Europe and NATO. The office will remain operational and job losses are not expected. However, this change will downgrade the status of the office, which until the beginning of this year was one of the most important in the Pentagon.
The role of the office for Ukraine
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the office has played a critical role in shaping US policy toward the war and managing the massive flow of military assistance to support Ukraine’s self-defense.
Laura Cooper, the office’s former director, helped convene a group of 50 countries, which has met 27 times to date, coordinating more than $130 billion in security assistance to Kyiv - about half of which came from the United States.
Numerous sources emphasized that the decision is not yet final and that any changes would be part of a broader reorganization effort.
Trump's reforms
Earlier this year, the Pentagon announced that it would cut 5,400 jobs.
This was part of US President Donald Trump's initiative to reduce the federal workforce.
At the same time, the Department cut the US Department of Education's spending by more than $900 million.
