US Cuts Off Intelligence Sharing With Ukraine: Report
The Trump administration has suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine as part of a broader reassessment of US support for the war-torn nation, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz confirmed Wednesday.
“We have, we have taken a step back,” Waltz told reporters when questioned about the intelligence suspension.
He indicated the administration was pausing and reviewing “all aspects of this relationship.”
This development follows Monday’s suspension of military aid to Ukraine, which came after a contentious Oval Office meeting where President Trump reportedly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave following a heated exchange.
The intelligence pause could significantly impact Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities against Russian forces.
Former deputy assistant secretary of defense Mick Mulroy warned the move “will have an immediate impact” on Ukraine’s defensive operations.
“There is no way to replace the capabilities that the US intelligence can provide from our European allies,” Mulroy said, according to the Financial Times (FT).
“This will likely inspire Russia to push harder on their efforts to take more terrain from Ukraine and away from the negotiating table.”
US intelligence has been crucial for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, helping Ukrainian forces understand Moscow’s strategic plans and providing tactical information for targeting Russian positions.
The intelligence has reportedly been instrumental in helping Ukraine anticipate Russian movements and effectively deploy its limited resources against a numerically superior enemy.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the situation as a pause, saying the US is “reconsidering” its funding approach to Ukraine.
This reconsideration comes as the Trump administration appears to be pushing for more direct peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
The scope and duration of the intelligence sharing suspension remain unclear. Officials have not specified whether the pause is partial or complete, nor have they provided a definitive timeline for when normal intelligence cooperation might resume.
Despite the current tensions, CNN reported that both Waltz and CIA Director John Ratcliffe suggested the relationship could soon improve.
Ratcliffe told Fox Business that Trump “had a real question about whether President Zelensky was committed to the peace process, and he said ‘let’s pause, I want to give you a chance to think about that.’”
Ratcliffe added that Zelensky’s subsequent statement expressing readiness for peace talks was a positive development: “On the military front and the intelligence front, the pause that allowed that to happen, will go away and we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.”
FT highlighted that Waltz similarly expressed optimism, telling Fox, “I think if we can nail down these negotiations and move towards these negotiations, and in fact, put some confidence-building measures on the table, then the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause.”
He also mentioned having “good talks” with his Ukrainian counterpart about potential negotiation locations and substance, suggesting movement in “very short order.”
Meanwhile, European leaders are preparing for potential long-term changes in US support. French President Emmanuel Macron announced a meeting of European army chiefs in Paris next week and called for increased defense spending across Europe.
“I want to believe the US will stay at our side, but we must be ready if that is not the case,” Macron said in a televised address, describing Europe as entering a “new era.”
He also mentioned that France, Ukraine, and other partners have prepared what he called a “durable peace plan,” per FT.
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