[Updated at 15:00]: CIA Director John Ratcliffe has stated that the US has paused both weapons shipments and intelligence sharing with Ukraine following the Oval Office meeting.
White House correspondent Edward Lawrence quoted Ratcliffe on X, reporting that the CIA director “looks forward to lifting the pause and working with Ukraine towards peace following the letter to POTUS.”
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Before this statement, the Financial Times, citing officials familiar with the matter, reported that the US has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv.
Moreover, the White House has reportedly barred Britain from sharing US-generated intelligence with Ukraine as part of its broader decision to suspend military aid to Kyiv.
According to the Daily Mail, UK intelligence agencies and military branches, including GCHQ and the Ministry of Defence, have received orders explicitly prohibiting the transfer of intelligence previously classified as “Releasable to Ukraine” (Rel UKR).
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion three years ago, the UK, alongside security partners like Australia and New Zealand, had been providing Ukraine with such intelligence.
However, the Trump administration has now revoked this classification, pending further notice, a move that experts say could weaken Kyiv’s ability to defend itself.
“The United States’ instruction to stop allies sharing US-derived intelligence with Ukraine is what I would expect,” UK military intelligence expert Phil Ingram told the Mail.
A Sober Look at the State of Ukraine’s Peace Negotiations
According to the report, the US intends to retain tight control over its intelligence distribution to Ukraine through agencies based in Kyiv.
A senior Ukrainian official expressed concern over the developments, telling the Financial Times: “We have two to three months. After that, the position will be very difficult for us. It will not be a total collapse, but we will be forced to withdraw from some areas more quickly.”
Despite these reports, several military and political sources told RBC-Ukraine on March 4 that no changes have yet been observed in the US intelligence-sharing process.
“As for the transfer or exchange of intelligence data, Ukrainian agencies have not yet felt any changes, everything is as it was before,” one source said.
Another source suggested that intelligence cooperation might remain unaffected even if Trump’s administration enforces its decision to halt military aid, arguing, “This is a different line of cooperation.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Feb. 28 visit to Washington turned tense as US President Donald Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance accused him of lacking gratitude for US aid. The Ukrainian leader left without signing a deal granting the US joint control over Ukraine’s minerals.
After Friday’s explosive encounter between Trump and Zelensky Trump officials announced on Tuesday that it had stopped all military aid shipments – including current and future weapons – to Ukraine.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
