The US has cut off all intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military’s ability to target Russian forces, the director of the CIA has confirmed
Washington will no longer be sharing intelligence with Kyiv in the latest blow for the war-torn nation.
The head of the CIA today confirmed it’s freezing all intelligence-sharing with the Ukrainian military, which could seriously affect their ability to target Russian forces.
President Donald Trump has also suspended the delivery of military aid to the country amid a souring of relations between his administration and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Since the beginning of the conflict, US intelligence has made it possible for Ukraine to identify Russian military targets and hit them.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News the US has paused weapons shipments and intelligence to Ukraine after the Oval Office fallout last Friday. Ratcliffe said he was looking forward to being able to lift the pause and work towards a peaceful resolution.
It comes after reports emerged claiming that Britain has been barred from sharing intelligence with the nation, which is desperately trying to defend itself in the gruelling years-long conflict. There are already concerns Ukraine could run out of weapons in as little as two to three months’ time following Mr Trump’s decision to freeze American military aid to Kyiv.
And now reports claim all UK intelligence agencies and military outlets have received an order expressly forbidding the sharing of US-generated intelligence, previously known as “Rel UKR” – short for Releasable to Ukraine.
It is another huge blow for Mr Zelensky, 47, as the UK and other Western security partners such as Australia and New Zealand have shared such knowledge with Ukraine since the conflict began three years ago. As Russia’s onslaught continues, it is feared the ban will further hamper Ukraine’s chances to defend itself.
The ban affects the likes of the UK’s GCHQ, the spy agencies and intelligence branches of the Ministry of Defence. Phil Ingram, a UK military intelligence expert, told the Daily Mail: “The United States’s instruction to stop allies sharing US-derived intelligence with Ukraine is what I would expect. The US’s intelligence partners, including Britain, have had their authority to pass on intelligence revoked. The US will tightly control distribution of its intelligence to Ukraine through agencies based in Kyiv.”
Mr Trump has today already hinted he will relinquish the US’ leadership of NATO, as he continues to insist UK and France should take more responsibility for the security of the continent. It is a move his friend and adviser, Elon Musk, has reportedly recommended.
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