OMB Official Says Ukraine Aid Put on Hold Because Other Countries Weren’t Giving

Mark Sandy, a senior official at the Office of Management and Budget, arrives to the US Capitol in Washington for a closed door deposition with lawmakers on Nov. 16, 2019. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

An official with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) told Congress earlier this month behind closed doors that congress-approved military aid to Ukraine was put on hold because President Donald Trump thought other countries weren’t contributing enough.

Mark Sandy told lawmakers that Trump began questioning the aid on June 19 but he himself didn’t learn about Trump’s decision to put the aid on hold for a review until July 18, when he came back from leave. The hold was officially placed on July 25. The aid was released in September.