US pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine

The future of US support for Ukraine is being pushed further into doubt, with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz confirming on Wednesday that the US has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

“We have, we have taken a step back,” Waltz told reporters when asked about suspending intelligence sharing.

He added that the Trump administration was pausing and reviewing “all aspects of this relationship”.

French President Emmanuel Macron later announced a meeting of European army chiefs in Paris next week, saying in a televised speech that France must be prepared to move forward without US help.

“I want to believe the US will stay at our side, but we must be ready if that is not the case,” Macron said.

Saying that Europe is in a “new era”, Macron called for it to increase its defence spending.

He also said that France, along with Ukraine and others, have prepared a durable peace plan.

The US has shared intelligence with Ukraine since the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

It paused military aid to Kyiv on Monday following a dramatic breakdown in relations in the Oval Office last week, when Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was told to leave after an angry meeting with US President Donald Trump.

It remains unclear if the pause on intelligence sharing is partial or complete, and how long it will remain in effect.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe also appeared to confirm the decision in an interview on Fox Business on Wednesday, saying Trump “had a real question about whether President Zelensky was committed to the peace process, and he said ‘let’s pause, I want to give you a chance to think about that’.”

He said the response came swiftly with Zelensky’s statement saying he was ready for peace.

Ratcliffe then added: “On the military front and the intelligence front, the pause that allowed that to happen, will go away and we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.”

Waltz also suggested a more conciliatory tone was emerging between the US and Ukraine, adding that the military aid and intelligence sharing pause could be lifted in the near future.

“I think if we can nail down these negotiations and move towards these negotiations, and in fact, put some confidence-building measures on the table, then the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause,” he told Fox News.

He also said he had “good talks” with his Ukrainian counterpart about the location and substance of potential negotiations, adding there will be movement in “very short order”.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the military assistance during a press briefing on Wednesday, saying the US has simply paused it and is “reconsidering” funding.

Ukraine has heavily relied on the US for military assistance for the three years since Russia’s invasion, and the decision to pause aid may have a significant effect on the war.

Halting intelligence support, too, would likely have serious consequences on the battlefield.

The information is believed to help Ukraine both strategically understand Moscow’s next moves and also tactically, for example providing information on Russian troop positions for weapons guidance and targeting.

Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defence and retired CIA paramilitary officer, told the BBC that cutting off intelligence to Ukraine “will have an immediate impact” on its ability to defend itself.

“There is no way to replace the capabilities that the US intelligence can provide from our European allies,” he said.

“This will likely inspire Russia to push harder on their efforts to take more terrain from Ukraine and away from the negotiating table.”

Additional reporting by Bernd Debusmann Jr at the White House