The United States has halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed on Wednesday, a decision that could impact Ukraine’s ability to target Russian forces on the battlefield.
Ratcliffe described the decision as a “pause,” following earlier media reports, and stated that US President Donald Trump “had a real question about whether President Zelensky was committed to the peace process.”
He further suggested that the suspension might not last long. “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,” Ratcliffe told Fox Business on Wednesday.
This intelligence freeze follows Trump’s announcement on Monday to suspend military aid to Ukraine, a move that has increased pressure on Kyiv to engage in peace talks with Russia. Moscow responded positively to the decision, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it a “solution which could really push the Kyiv regime toward a peace process.”
According to the Financial Times, which cited anonymous sources, the freeze primarily affects time-sensitive and high-value intelligence that could assist Ukraine in targeting mobile Russian positions. However, some US allies with intelligence assets in Ukraine are expected to continue providing “relevant intelligence,” the report noted.
A source quoted by Sky News described the suspension as “selective,” explaining that some intelligence is still being shared regarding Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. Bloomberg, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official, reported that Kyiv is still receiving intelligence from Washington.
In his address to Congress on Tuesday night, Trump stated that Zelensky had expressed readiness “to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,” as well as willingness to sign a minerals deal with the United States.
(THE MOSCOW TIMES)
and then