While the aid suspension had not been made public, word was getting out. Catherine Croft, special advisor for Ukraine negotiations, worked closely with Ambassador Volker and who testified before this committee at a deposition, received two separate calls in July or August from officials at the Ukrainian Embassy who, quote, "approached me quietly and in confidence, to ask me about an OMB hold on Ukraine security assistance." Croft was, quote, "very surprised at the effectiveness of my Ukrainian counterparts diplomatic trade craft, as if to say, they found out very early on, much earlier than I expected them to." Ukrainians wanted answers, but Croft did not have a good response.
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