Pentagon Official in Charge of Ukraine Aid Resigns – Politico

In Kyiv, Laura Cooper is considered an “honest broker in the negotiations.”

Laura Cooper, a senior official at the US Department of Defense responsible for military aid to Ukraine, has resigned , Politico reports, citing department officials.

It is noted that she left in early 2025 after working at the Pentagon for more than 20 years. The reason for her departure is not given, but the publication suggests that given the “uncertainty of policy towards Ukraine, the Pentagon could be an uncomfortable place for her under the new president.”

“Her departure reflects a growing sense of unease within the Defense Department about the new administration and how it plans to treat career civil servants and military officers, especially amid expectations that Trump will cut the federal workforce,” the publication says .

The publication noted that Cooper was a civil servant and, unlike political appointees, did not have to resign when political leadership changed.

It is noted that Cooper “played an outsized role in coordinating the massive supply of American military aid to Ukraine after Russia first invaded in 2022.”

The article also stated that she plans to work as a teacher at the National Defense University in Washington, but journalists were unable to contact her for comment.

The publication recalled that Cooper first made headlines in 2019 when she was called to testify in Congress about then-President Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his rival Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Cooper then testified before congressional committees behind closed doors, despite a White House letter warning her not to appear. She also repeated her testimony during a public hearing.

The publication also reports that Cooper has developed good relationships with many officials in the Ukrainian government while coordinating the aid, and some of them visited her office at the Pentagon during her visit to Washington. In Kyiv, she is seen as an honest broker in the negotiations.

Cooper was temporarily replaced by Stephen Schlain, who ensures the continuity of the US government in crisis situations.

(C)UNIAN 2025