Laura Cooper, senior Pentagon official leading the Russia and Ukraine office, stepped down as Donald Trump's inauguration looms, Politico reported on Jan. 6, citing one former and three current officials.
A veteran civil servant, Cooper has held senior U.S. Defense Department positions since Trump's first term in office in 2017 and, more recently, was responsible for coordinating U.S. aid for Ukraine during the full-scale war that broke out in 2022.
Politico linked her resignation to the growing uncertainty about upcoming changes in the Pentagon under Trump's administration, namely regarding the future Ukraine policy.
According to the outlet, Cooper's resignation may also be connected to her testimonies in Trump's impeachment inquiry in 2019. The proceedings were launched after the then-U.S. president was said to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rivals by threatening to withhold military aid.
Often critical of the Biden administration's extensive backing of Kyiv, Trump has pledged to bring a swift end to the full-scale war by pushing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table.
The incoming U.S. president has often voiced sympathies for Russian President Vladimir Putin and presented Moscow's worries about Ukraine's NATO aspirations as a legitimate concern.
At the same time, Trump said he would not "abandon" Ukraine and instead leverage U.S. military assistance to push Russia to peace talks.
Cooper has been temporarily replaced by Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for Defense Continuity and Mission Assurance Steven Schleien, but broad personnel changes are expected at the Pentagon after Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
With less than two weeks in office left, the Biden administration seeks to deliver as much aid to Ukraine as possible to put it in the strongest possible position in any potential 2025 negotiations.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
