In light of allied tensions, CIA Director John Ratcliffe affirms the US “pause” on US intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
The suspension of US intelligence sharing between Kyiv and the United States may significantly limit the Ukrainian military’s capacity to attack Russian soldiers.
Following a sharp deterioration in ties between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the US halted military funding to Ukraine, which prompted the cutoff.
The US has given Ukraine a lot of US intelligence since the war began in 2022, including vital data that its military requires for targeting.
The extent to which the US has stopped sharing was not immediately apparent.
The US “pause” in support was revealed by CIA Director John Ratcliffe in an interview with Fox Business televised on Wednesday.
Ratcliffe stated, “I think the pause [that prompted Ukraine’s president to respond] will go away on the military front and the US intelligence front.”
In order to improve the world’s position for these peace talks to proceed, he stated, “I think we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have to push back on the aggression that’s there.”
After Zelenskyy and Trump battled in the White House on Friday, US-Ukraine ties took a severe turn for the worst, but this week has seen some mending.
On Tuesday, Trump claimed to have received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which the Ukrainian leader indicated his desire to engage in talks on Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
“Ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,” Zelenskyy stated in the letter.
He wrote, “We truly appreciate all that America has done to support Ukraine in preserving its independence and sovereignty.”
The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that the United States has provided Ukraine with military assistance totaling over $86 billion since the conflict started in February 2022.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded “positively” when asked how the Kremlin perceived Zelenskyy’s document.
Who to sit down with is the question. The Ukrainian president is currently still barred by law from engaging in negotiations with Russia. In reference to a 2022 Zelenskyy edict that barred talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Peskov stated, “So, overall, the approach is positive, but the nuances have not changed yet.”
Zelenskyy has, however, stated time and again that he would be open to meeting with Putin—but only if Kyiv and its allies can agree on a single negotiating stance.
White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated on Wednesday that if negotiations to settle the conflict are set up, Trump will think about resuming aid to Ukraine.
Waltz described the letter as a “good, positive first step” in an interview with Fox.
“I think the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause if we can nail down these negotiations and move towards these negotiations, and in fact, put some confidence-building measures on the table,” he stated without providing further details. In this US intelligence played a major role.
He went on to say, “We must be certain that both parties are sincere in their efforts to negotiate a partial, and eventually a permanent, peace.”
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