US suspends intelligence sharing with Ukraine
America has suspended intelligence sharing with Kyiv in a transfer that might severely limit the Ukrainian navy’s skill to strike Russian forces.
The cut-off comes after the US suspended navy help to Ukraine amid a dramatic collapse in relations between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
For the reason that begin of the warfare in 2022, the US has supplied Ukraine with vital intelligence, together with crucial data its navy wants for concentrating on functions.
It was not instantly clear to what extent the US had lower off the sharing.
In an interview with Fox Enterprise broadcast on Wednesday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed the US “pause” in assist.
“I feel on the navy entrance and the intelligence entrance, the pause [that prompted Ukraine’s president to respond] I feel will go away,” Ratcliffe mentioned.
“I feel we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we now have to push again on the aggression that’s there, however to place the world in a greater place for these peace negotiations to maneuver ahead,” he mentioned.
However Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from the White Home, says the transfer to withdraw intelligence cooperation is “only a software to try to get Ukraine again to the desk”.
“They [the US] additionally talked about stopping navy help to Ukraine, which the Ukrainians admit would hit their warfare efforts, not finish it fully,” Fisher defined.
“Clearly, simply the specter of these issues has labored. So whenever you hear from the nationwide safety adviser saying issues could possibly be resumed briefly order, it appears to counsel that any affect on Ukraine can be restricted, to say the least, so long as peace talks definitely appear to be on the horizon sooner somewhat than later,” he mentioned.
US-Ukraine relations broke down dramatically final week when Zelenskyy and Trump clashed within the White Home on Friday, however there have been some indicators of an enchancment this week.
Trump on Tuesday mentioned he acquired a letter from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by which the Ukrainian chief expressed willingness to enter negotiations over Russia’s warfare on Ukraine.
Zelenskyy mentioned within the letter that he was “prepared to return to the negotiating desk as quickly as attainable to deliver lasting peace nearer”.
“We do actually worth how a lot America has finished to assist Ukraine keep its sovereignty and independence,” he wrote.
For the reason that warfare started in February 2022, the US has despatched roughly $86bn to Ukraine in navy help, in keeping with the Centre for Strategic and Worldwide Research.
When requested how the Kremlin seen Zelenskyy’s letter, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned “positively”.
“The query is who to sit down down with. For now, the Ukrainian president continues to be legally prohibited from negotiating with the Russian aspect. So, general, the method is optimistic, however the nuances haven’t modified but,” Peskov mentioned, referring to a Zelenskyy decree in 2022 that dominated out negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Nonetheless, Zelenskyy has repeatedly mentioned he can be keen to satisfy Putin, however solely after Kyiv and its allies agree on a typical negotiating place.
On Wednesday, White Home Nationwide Safety Adviser Mike Waltz mentioned that Trump would contemplate restoring help to Ukraine if talks to finish the warfare are organized.
In an interview with Fox, Waltz mentioned the letter was a “good, optimistic first step”.
“I feel if we are able to nail down these negotiations and transfer in the direction of these negotiations, and actually, put some confidence-building measures on the desk, then the president will take a tough have a look at lifting this pause,” he mentioned with out elaborating on the confidence-building measures.
“We’ve to know that either side are sincerely negotiating in the direction of a partial, then a everlasting, peace,” he added.
