The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, who coordinated military assistance to Ukraine, has stepped down, according to Politico.
Laura Cooper, who worked in the Pentagon for over 20 years, held the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia since the first Trump administration.
Reports from early 2025 suggest her resignation came under pressure from President-elect Donald Trump.
The Department of Defense has not commented on why she resigned, but anonymous sources claim her close cooperation with Ukrainian officials and her past testimony against Trump may have made her a target.
A Career Civil Servant
Cooper was part of a group of career federal employees who work under both Republican and Democratic administrations. These employees, unlike political appointees, are not required to leave their roles during leadership changes.
She gained public attention in 2019 when she testified in Congress about Trump’s alleged efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden, his rival in the 2020 election.
Trump was accused of withholding military aid to Ukraine as part of this pressure. While impeached by the House, Trump was acquitted by the Senate in a largely party-line vote.
Temporary Replacement and NATO’s Role
Steven Schlein has been named as Cooper’s temporary replacement.
At the same time, NATO has taken over the coordination of Western military assistance to Ukraine, a shift that was planned due to expected changes in U.S. support under Trump.
The new NATO mission, NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, is headquartered at the U.S. base in Wiesbaden, Germany.
This change could significantly affect Ukraine, as the U.S. is the largest supplier of weapons to Kyiv. A reduction in U.S. support could deal a serious blow to Ukraine’s defense efforts.
