Donald Trump is facing a rebellion from some senior Republican senators over his administration’s decision to axe a programme tracking down Ukrainian children stolen by Russia.
It marks the first time senior members of the President’s own party have spoken out against him on this issue and – along with condemnation from Christian groups – suggests it is an area of weakness in Trump’s team that can be exploited by those opposed to these cuts.
Earlier this month The i Paper revealed the world-leading team at Yale University that rescues children abducted by Russia had its funding terminated as part of Elon Musk’s clampdown on government spending.
“Serious concerns” over the termination of the unit have been raised directly to Secretary of State Marco Rubio by prominent Republicans senators Charles Grassley and Thom Tillis.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been pushed by colleagues on the fate of the Yale unitIt comes as the State Department has been repeatedly forced to field questions about the fate of children forcibly abducted by Russia and the impact of the cancelling of Yale’s work.
America’s allies are understood to be monitoring the fallout of the programme’s termination closely, with foreign secretary David Lammy fielding questions in parliament around what role the UK could play in supporting the unit’s work.
A delegation including representatives of Ukraine and figures directly involved in the work to repatriate stolen Ukrainian children from Russia are expected to be in Westminster this week.
Grassley and Tillis’ cross-party letter demands the State Department release information regarding how the decision was made and to “immediately resume US support for this critical work”. It complemented a similar written appeal from bi-partisan congressmen, which included signatures from two other Republicans, published a few days before.
square NEWS Big ReadI treat Ukrainian children stolen by Russia - Musk was wrong to axe rescue team
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Meanwhile, the State Department has continued to face questions over the impact the programme’s termination will have on the search and rescue of thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly taken into Russia.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce responded to such queries. She said: “The grant has been stopped but it doesn’t mean just because something has changed, as this has, that it disappears or stops or becomes something that we can’t use.”
She added that President Trump is concerned “about those missing children” and their fate is part of the on-going conversation with Russia.
“It’s something that we all hope will be resolved sooner than later,” she concluded.
Her comments echo a statement made by Michael Waltz, National Security Advisor of the United States, to CBS on Sunday.
Activists raise awareness for Ukraine’s stolen childrenWaltz was asked about the letter from Grassley and Tillis and pressed to provide a reason on why the programme was axed.
He refused to speak about the Yale programme specifically but said President Trump has “talked about the future of these children” .
Waltz added: “We’re talking through a number of confidence building measures. That’s one of them.”
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