United States takes 'a step back' in its exchange of intelligence information with Ukraine

Mike Waltz, national security adviser, confirmed that the United States had "taken a step back" in its intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The former congressman maintained in words picked up by The Guardian that the administration was "reviewing all aspects" of the relationship on that front.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a conversation with Fox Business that there has been a "pause" on both "the military front" and "the intelligence front." Both, he asserted, had been necessary to push peace negotiations forward and could be reversed: "I think [the pause] will go away."

Donald Trump ordered earlier in the week the temporary suspension of all military aid to Ukraine. With the information of the last hours, it was made known that Ukrainian troops will not only stop receiving U.S. war equipment, but also intelligence information for the development of their tactics on the ground.

At the moment it is unknown, however, the extent of this measure. A source consulted by Reuters assured that the cut had been partial, but refrained from providing details. The partial or total shutdown of the intelligence tap was advanced from anonymity by several officials to The Financial Times, who asserted that the decision could significantly impair Ukraine's ability to attack its enemy.

The U.S. has provided intelligence reports to Ukraine since the start of the conflict in 2022. Although neither detailed the flow or depth of this information flow, analysts and experts agree that U.S. intelligence has been key for Ukraine to know Russia's movements, especially in occupied territory.

An exclusive report from British outlet The Daily Mail added that Washington has banned London from sharing U.S. intelligence with Kiev. Intelligence agencies and branches of the British Defense Ministry were, according to the newspaper, expressly ordered not to share classified data of American origin.

During his speech before Congress on Tuesday, Trump shared that he had received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assuring that he was ready to negotiate with Russia. The president also said that Ukraine was ready to sign an agreement for the joint exploitation of minerals on Ukrainian soil. Zelensky himself also assured publicly that he is ready to seal the economic pact.

These statements come just days after a tense summit between Trump and Zelensky at the White House, where ultimately the minerals deal was not signed, as expected.