The United States has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military’s ability to target Russian forces, the CIA’s director has confirmed.
Director John Ratcliffe told Fox that the US paused both weapons shipments and intelligence to Ukraine following the disastrous White House meeting between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and US president Donald Trump last week.
He added that he was looking forward to lifting the pause and working with Ukraine on a path to peace.
An unnamed official told the Financial Times that while Ukraine had been frozen out of intelligence channels, the US was still sharing crucial information on Russia and Ukraine with its closest allies, including the UK.
However, a source told Sky News that American intelligence-sharing had not halted completely, adding that the cut-off was ‘selective.’
When asked whether these reports were true, they said: ‘Unfortunately, yes, but not completely. It is selective. On the possibility of damage on the territory of the Russian Federation.’
But last night, it was revealed that Donald Trump’s administration banned the UK from sharing US intelligence with allies in Ukraine.
American intelligence has been crucial to Ukraine for it to identify Russian military targets during the brutal invasion that began in February 2022.
But in recent weeks, Zelensky and Trump have been quarrelling on the world stage, leading to souring relations between their nations that reached its lowest point last week when the Ukrainian leader was unceremoniously booted out of the White House without signing a long-awaited minerals deal.
Zelensky last night backtracked on this, telling the world he was ready to work under Trump’s ‘strong leadership’ and wants to ‘make things right’ after their ‘regrettable’ White House row.
Trump said during his State of the Union speech later that evening that he appreciated the Ukrainian leader’s words.
The major military and intelligence moves came amid serious fears that Ukraine would run out of American military supplies within a few weeks.
