U.S. Cuts Intelligence For Ukraine

The U.S. has paused intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday, piling pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to cooperate with U.S. President Donald Trump in convening peace talks with Russia.

The suspension, which could hurt Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian missile strikes, followed a halt this week to U.S. military aid to Kyiv. It underscores Trump’s willingness to play hardball with an ally as he pivots to a more conciliatory approach to Moscow from what was strong U.S. support for Ukraine.

The pressure appears to have worked, with Trump on Tuesday saying he received a letter from Zelenskiy in which the Ukrainian leader said he was willing to come to the negotiating table.
“I think on the military front and the intelligence front, the pause I think will go away,” Ratcliffe told Fox Business Network.

“I think we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have to push back on the aggression that’s there, but to put the world in a better place for these peace negotiations to move forward,” he said.

Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, told another Fox program that the president would consider restoring assistance to Kyiv if peace talks are arranged and unspecified confidence-building measures taken.

A source familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Trump administration had halted “everything,” including targeting data that Ukraine has used to strike Russian targets.

Washington on Monday halted military aid to Kyiv following a disastrous Oval Office meeting on Friday in which Trump and Zelenskiy engaged in a shouting match before the world’s media. The clash delayed the signing of a Ukraine-U.S. minerals deal.

European countries are scrambling to boost defense spending and maintain support for Ukraine after the military aid freeze fueled doubts about Washington’s commitment to its European NATO allies.

Finalizing Munerals Deal

In his address to Congress on Tuesday evening, Trump said Kyiv was ready to sign a deal on exploiting Ukraine’s critical mineral deposits, which the U.S. leader has demanded to repay the costs of U.S. military aid. He provided no further information.

Trump also said he had been in “serious discussions with Russia” and had received strong signals that they were ready for peace.

“It’s time to end this senseless war. If you want to end wars you have to talk to both sides,” he said.

The U.S. has provided critical intelligence to Ukraine for its fight against Moscow’s forces, including information that helped thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin’s drive to seize Kyiv at the start of his full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Reuters/Ejiofor Ezeifeoma