Hegseth orders halt to offensive cyber operations against Russia so as not to hinder Ukraine talks

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered U.S. Cyber Command to halt offensive operations against Russia, according to a New York Times report citing inside sources with knowledge of the instructions.

According to officials, the move is part of a broader strategy to woo Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiations on Ukraine and the end of the war. President Donald Trump presents himself as a neutral broker, a stance that differs from former Democratic President Joe Biden's.

This order from Hegseth was issued before the public discussion in the Oval Office between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last Friday, and the scope and duration of the Department of Defense order is still unclear.

During the day, after the media revealed the Pentagon chief's order, former Secretary of State and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton questioned Hegseth, citing a link to the news with the message, "Wouldn’t want to hurt Putin’s feelings."

Hegseth responded to Clinton without replying, but posted an image of the former secretary of state laughing with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister.

Hegseth's order comes at a time when Washington and Kiev were actively negotiating a mining deal on rare minerals for the U.S. to recoup some of the money sent to Ukraine to fund the war with Russia.

During the day, Trump explained a broader view on the Ukraine minerals deal, detailing that the very presence of the U.S. on those lands would serve as a way to deter Russia from further attack.