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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 24 december 2019

House committee raises prospect U.S. allocates $175

of more impeachment articles million in military

By ERIC TUCKER aid to Baltics in 2020
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
House Judiciary Commit-
tee held open the pos- HELSINKI (AP) — The United ried over what they have
sibility Monday of recom- States has allocated $175 perceived to be waning
mending additional articles million in military aid to the interest by U.S. President
of impeachment against Baltic countries of Estonia, Donald Trump's admin-
President Donald Trump Latvia and Lithuania for istration in trans-Atlantic
as it pressed anew for the 2020, the Estonian defense relations and NATO's joint
testimony of former White ministry said Monday. defense commitment, par-
House counsel Don Mc- The three countries are ticularly since Trump had
Gahn. NATO members and all of earlier called the military
The committee wants a them border Russia. alliance obsolete.
federal appeals court to In this Feb. 22, 2018, file photo White House counsel Don Mc- The Estonian defense min- But Estonia sees the U.S.
order McGahn to testify as Gahn speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference istry said that along with military aid as a sign that
it examines potential ob- (CPAC), at National Harbor, Md. $125 million in general mili- Washington's commitment
struction of justice by the Associated Press tary aid, Washington has to NATO and the Baltic
president during special for the first time earmarked states is strong.
counsel Robert Mueller's with Ukraine rather than on oversight role of the FBI and a separate $50 million bud- "Our (U.S.) ally clearly con-
Russia investigation. The actions uncovered during the Justice Department, get line to boost air defense firms its commitment to
committee says McGahn's Mueller's Russia probe. "including in determining capabilities of the three (NATO's) collective de-
testimony could also be "If McGahn's testimony pro- whether those agencies ex-Soviet republics — seen fense on Europe´s eastern
useful for any Senate im- duces new evidence sup- are operating free from by many military experts a flank," Luik said in a state-
peachment trial. porting the conclusion that improper political interfer- weak area in their current ment, referring to the finan-
A judge last month direct- President Trump commit- ence." defense. cial aid.
ed McGahn to comply ted impeachable offenses Democrats on the Judicia- The overall aim of U.S. mili- As Estonia, Latvia and
with the House Judiciary that are not covered by ry Committee subpoenaed tary aid to Tallinn, Riga and Lithuania have no fighter
Committee subpoena, the Articles approved by McGahn well before the Vilnius is to strengthen "the aircraft, NATO fighter jets
and a Washington-based the House, the Committee start this fall of an impeach- deterrence and defense are responsible for policing
appeals court is scheduled will proceed accordingly ment inquiry centered posture in the Baltic States Baltic airspace on a four-
to hear arguments Jan. 3. — including, if necessary, around Trump's request to including in the area of month rotational basis from
In a court filing Monday, by considering whether to Ukraine's president that he airspace and especially in bases in Estonia and Lithu-
lawyers for the committee recommend new articles investigate Democratic ri- the field of air defense," Es- ania. Luik stressed "the tran-
said McGahn's testimony of impeachment," lawyers val Joe Biden and his son, tonian Defense Minister Juri sition from (Baltic) air polic-
remains essential even for the Democratic-led as well as an unsubstanti- Luik said in a statement. ing to air defense requires
though the House has al- committee wrote. ated conspiracy theory The three Baltic nations, a common decision from
ready voted to impeach The committee also said alleging Ukraine's interfer- which joined NATO in 2004, all (NATO) allies, but the
Trump on two charges re- McGahn's testimony is im- ence in the 2016 U.S. presi- are all staunch allies of U.S. position and practical
lated to his interactions portant for the committee's dential election. q Washington. support are of great impor-
They have been highly wor- tance." q