US pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine, adding pressure for Russia peace deal
US move could hurt Ukraine defence against Russian strikes, but CIA director believes suspension will ‘go away’
The US has paused intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday, piling pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to cooperate with US President Donald Trump in convening peace talks with Russia.
The suspension, which could cost lives by hurting Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian missile strikes, followed a halt this week to US military aid to Kyiv. It underscored Trump’s willingness to play hardball with an ally as he pivots to a more conciliatory approach to Moscow from previously strong US support for Ukraine.
The pressure appears to have worked, with Trump on Tuesday saying he received a letter from Zelensky 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.