GIVING AID TO TURKEY IN THE FIRST PLACE.
FIRST PLACE. WE TAKE A LOOK.
>> THE ONCE STALLED MILITARY AID
TO UKRAINE IS AT THE CENTER OF
THE IMPEACHMENT STORM GOING ON
IN WASHINGTON.
IN WASHINGTON. IT’S ALSO AT THE STORM OF
ANOTHER STORM BETWEEN RUSSIA AND
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE. BETWEEN 2014 THE U.S. HAS GIVEN
OUT $1.5 BILLION IN ASSISTANCE
TO UKRAINE IN ORDER TO ENHANCE
AN EASTERN EUROPEAN’S COUNTRY --
AS A REMINDER, RUSSIA IN 2014 --
IN A LAND WAR THAT’S BEEN IN A
STALEMATE FOR ROUGHLY THE LAST
FEW YEARS.
FEW YEARS. THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ON BOTH
SIDES OF THE AISLE AT THE TIME
TO STEM THE MOVE AS A VIOLATION
OF UKRAINIAN SOVEREIGNTIES.
>> RUSSIA ENCROACHING ON UKRAINE
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OR
SOVEREIGNTY.
SOVEREIGNTY. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT’S HAPPENED.
AND IT’S VERY EARLY ON THAT
SHOULD RUSSIA DO SO, THERE WOULD
BE CONSEQUENCES.
BE CONSEQUENCES. >> THEY SUPPORTED SANCTIONS
AGAINST RUSSIA AND ASSISTANCE TO
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE. HERE’S WHAT WAS CLEAR.
AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE WAS
A WAY TO COUNTER RUSSIAN
AGGRESSION.
AGGRESSION. THEN SENATOR McCAIN -- ALLIES
FAIL TO RESPOND SENDS A SIGNAL
TO PRESIDENT PUTIN HE CAN BE
EVEN MORE AMBITIOUS AND
AGGRESSIVE.
AGGRESSIVE. >> BUT THE SECONDARY FACT OF
MAKING UKRAINE LOOK WEAK AND
DEPENDENT ON THE UNITED STATES
ALSO SERVES THE KREMLIN’S.
>> MORE THAN 10,000 PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN KILLED SINCE THE START OF
THE WAR.
THE WAR. IN JUNE, THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE ANNOUNCED $250 MILLION
TO UKRAINE TO PROVIDE, AMONG
OTHER THINGS, SNIPER RIFLES,
ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE
ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE LAUNCHERS AND WEAPON DETECTION
EQUIPMENT.
EQUIPMENT. SEPARATELY THE STATE DEPARTMENT
IS TO PROVIDE $141 MILLION.
>> WITHOUT QUESTION THE UNITED
STATES IS UKRAINE’S MOST
IMPORTANT MILITARY ALLY RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. THAT THOSE NUMBERS REPRESENT A
MAJOR PART OF THEIR DEFENSE
BUDGET AND SOME UNIQUE WEAPONS,
INCLUDING THE JAVELINS, THESE
ANTI-TANK MISSILES, THAT WITHOUT
THEM THEY HAVE NO OTHER WAY TO
ACQUIRE THAT KIND OF MILITARY
TECHNOLOGY.
TECHNOLOGY. SO, THEY ARE EXTREMELY DEPENDENT
ON THE UNITED STATES TO HELP
THEM DETER RUSSIAN AGGRESSION.
>> IN JULY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION BLOCKED THIS
ASSISTANCE.
ASSISTANCE. BEFORE THE PHONE CALL WITH
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY CITING TWO
MAIN REASONS, HIS BELIEF
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES DIDN’T HOLD
UP THEIR FAIR SHARE --
>> WELL, WE’RE WORKING WITH
UKRAINE AND WE WANT OTHER
COUNTRIES TO WORK WITH UKRAINE.
WHEN I SAY WORK, I MEAN MONEY.
THEY SHOULD PUT UP MORE MONEY.
WE PUT UP A LOT OF MONEY.
>> THIS ISN’T ENTIRELY TRUE.
AS NBC NEWS REPORTS, THE
EUROPEAN UNION PUT UP $16.5
BILLION IN FINANCIAL AID,
ACCORDING TO A FACT SHEET FROM
THE EU’S DIPLOMATIC ARM.