Laura Cooper, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia,who played a key role in coordinating US military aid to Kyiv, has stepped down from her position at the beginning of 2025.

Source: European Pravda, citing Politico

Details: Cooper, who served in the Pentagon for more than 20 years, was instrumental in coordinating large-scale deployments of US military aid to Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

In her last position at the US Department of Defense, Cooper established strong relationships with many Ukrainian government officials. According to Politico, she is regarded in Kyiv as "an honest broker in negotiations".

Cooper first gained media attention in 2019 when she was summoned to Congress to testify about former President Donald Trump’s attempts to pressure Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden.

Her testimony focused on the delay in providing Ukraine with US$400 million in military aid allocated by Congress for training purposes. She stated during the hearings that the funds were "held without explanation" and US officials "began to raise concerns about how this could be done in a legal fashion".

Pentagon and State Department officials who worked closely with her, speaking to Politico on condition of anonymity, expressed fears that she might face persecution during Trump’s presidency for her testimony and ties to Biden-era Ukraine policy.

Cooper's duties at the Pentagon are currently being temporarily handled by Steven Schleien, the head of the Office of Defense Continuity and Mission Assurance, which ensures the uninterrupted functioning of the US administration in crisis situations.

Background: It was previously reported that Trump-appointed Special Envoy for the Russia-Ukraine war, General Keith Kellogg, has postponed his visit to Ukraine.

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