U.S. authorities said on Wednesday that information cooperation with Ukraine has been temporarily halted, adding fuel to the fire in the relationship between the Trump administration and Kyiv.
Over the course of Wednesday morning’s discussion with Fox Business Network, CIA Director John Ratcliffe verified the decision. The Trump administration temporarily halted weapons shipments on Monday night, according to four sources familiar with the matter. Shortly after, the freeze was instituted. To discuss the continuing intelligence exchange between the two sides, the individuals were given the green light to remain anonymous.
Both actions are a result of a contentious conversation that took place on Friday in the Oval Office. During that exchange, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of not expressing enough thanks for American help and of overplaying a weak diplomatic hand.
In an attempt to force Ukraine to return to the negotiation table, Ratcliffe suggested the delay may be short-lived.
According to Ratcliffe, “the pause that allowed that to happen will go away” on the military and intelligence fronts, and the United States will continue to stand in solidarity with Ukraine in its fight against aggression. “When it comes to promoting global peace, President Trump is going to ensure that everyone is held responsible.”
According to national security advisor Mike Waltz, who subsequently verified the report, the Trump administration is currently “reviewing all aspects” of U.S. ties with Ukraine, including information cooperation and military aid, which would be temporarily halted.
A congressional aide informed of the development claimed that the intelligence suspension encompassed “everything” and went into force on Tuesday morning following the announcement by the White House that U.S. military aid to Kyiv had been temporarily suspended.
Even among those of Ukraine’s supporters who are strongly allied with Trump, the revelation aroused broad worry on Capitol Hill.
A strong supporter of both Trump and Ukraine, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) expressed her concern about the long-term consequences of Zelenskyy’s ouster from the White House on Friday and urged him to step down. Why? Because it offers Ukraine a little advantage. Rest assured, I am crossing my fingers that everything will be resolved soon.
House Intelligence Committee ranking Democrat Jim Himes (D-Conn.) has demanded that the United States and Ukraine resume exchanging intelligence with one another without delay. The importance of our intelligence partnership with our Ukrainian allies in resisting Russia’s ruthless invasion has been clear to me. The lives of both Ukrainian servicemen and civilians have been spared because of it.
A request for comment was not responded to by Ukraine’s military intelligence organization. The office of Zelenskyy chose not to comment. In response to a request for comment, the CIA forwarded the matter to the National Security Council, which remained silent after Waltz’s remarks.
According to Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who is the leading member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the intelligence-sharing delay makes it harder for Ukraine to attack Russian positions. “If President Trump surrenders all of our bargaining power, he’s essentially giving Vladimir Putin his wish,” she remarked.It seems like the freeze also prevented U.S. allies from providing Ukraine with intelligence goods developed in the United States. According to Wednesday’s edition of Britain’s Daily Mail, an order has been issued prohibiting the sharing of U.S.-generated material that was marked as releasable to Ukraine. This order has now been received by U.K. intelligence agencies and military outlets. Kemi Badenoch, head of the British opposition, called the decision “concerning” and cautioned against any turn by the United States to “disengage” on intelligence. Responding to reporters’ questions on Wednesday, the office of Prime Minister Keir Starmer referred to a long-standing practice of refraining from commenting on subjects pertaining to intelligence.
An informed Ukrainian military source confirmed that, as of Wednesday, the Ukrainian military continued to receive intelligence from some nations, although they did not specify which ones. The source, who wished to remain anonymous in order to discuss sensitive military matters, stated that the United States provides 80% of Ukraine’s intelligence.
ISTOCK Associates Limited CEO Neil Barnett stated, “It’s inevitably going to be a huge setback for the Ukrainians, I don’t think there’s any way to deny that.” He is located in London. In an effort to bridge the gap, the British will. Our listening sites are located at the sovereign RAF Akrotiri, and there are Rivet Joint flights in the vicinity. We can’t hope to match the United States in every way, and there are some skills and resources that simply cannot be replaced.
Although Ukraine’s reliance on American weapons systems has diminished compared to earlier in the conflict, the country still depends significantly on American intelligence capabilities, long-range weapons, and air defense. Kyiv officials claim that up to 40% of the weapons used on the frontlines are made in Ukraine. After recently attacking Russian oil and gas refineries and starting counterattacks in the Donbas, the cessation of weapon and intelligence cooperation may hinder Ukraine’s attempts to advance militarily. It may also make it harder for Russia to provide Ukraine advance notice of impending air strikes.
To defend themselves and their children from the constant barrage of Russian missile and drone strikes, Ukrainian families depend on up-to-the-minute, precise intelligence. In a statement released on Wednesday, Paul Grod, president of the Ukrainian World Congress advocacy organization, emphasized the essential nature of this intelligence. He added that it goes beyond strategic support and really saves lives by giving civilians valuable time to get underground.
U.S. help is crucial in key critical areas like as intelligence sharing, long range precision firing, and air defense ammunition. The head of Lithuania’s parliamentary National Security and Defense Committee and a former NATO official, Giedrimas Jeglinskas, stated that such positions are now irreplaceable.
There was still no consensus among European officials as to whether Trump’s weapons and intelligence pauses were a short-term escalation of tensions with Zelenskyy before a minerals agreement or a more serious break in relations. “The ability of Ukrainian forces to fight will be negatively affected in the longer term if intelligence sharing is not resumed,” Jeglinskas stated.
While several European officials have seen a little change in the war’s momentum in Ukraine’s favor, they have emphasized the essential importance of continued backing from Europe and the United States.
According to Esa Pulkkinen, the Permanent Secretary of Finland’s Ministry of Defence, Russia’s economy has been “quite damaged” and is not performing well, but the country’s industrial capability is excellent. This is due to Russia’s economic shift to military spending.
Pulkkinen stated that, despite significant improvements, “Ukraine’s industrial capacity has greatly improved for building things like drones but it’s still not enough.” The country is in dire need of financial backing and investment from the West.
