Senior official says US intel sharing with Ukraine "has never been shut off"
Washington had announced a suspension of cooperation due to a disagreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky that occurred last month. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Washington had stated it suspended cooperation following a dispute between Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky last month.
President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has asserted that the US never halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine “for anything defensive” that Kiev may require. This statement contrasts with earlier remarks made by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who referred to a “pause.”
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Witkoff indicated that his “best understanding” was that the US “never shut off intelligence. . . for anything defensive that the Ukrainians need.” He mentioned that intelligence sharing would be “on the discussion list” during a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, involving US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ukrainian representatives.
However, when pressed about US weapons deliveries, Witkoff provided less definitive information.
“I think that aid was shut off for a bit of time. I’m really not sure where we are,” he remarked, deferring further questions to Waltz.
On Sunday, when asked by journalists aboard Air Force One if he would contemplate ending the reported intelligence pause, Trump responded: “We just about have. I mean, we really just about have.”
On Friday, various media outlets, including The Washington Post and ABC News, reported a statement from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which indicated that Ukraine’s access to US-funded satellite imagery had been suspended per Trump’s “directive on support to Ukraine.” Maxar, a key US satellite imagery provider, also verified that Ukrainian accounts in the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery program had been temporarily halted.
Time magazine, citing Western and Ukrainian officials, reported that the suspension of intelligence sharing significantly affected Ukraine’s military capabilities, resulting in considerable casualties and territorial losses, particularly in the occupied areas of Russia’s Kursk Region. An unnamed source claimed that Washington’s actions led to “hundreds of dead Ukrainians.”
Trump’s choice to suspend military aid and intelligence sharing followed a public confrontation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House in late February. During the tense exchange, Trump chastised Zelensky for not expressing enough gratitude toward the US and accused him of avoiding a peaceful resolution with Moscow.
When asked on Tuesday about the apparent freeze in US intelligence sharing with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed cautious optimism, suggesting that if the US were to suspend aid entirely, it would “probably be the best contribution to the cause of peace.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has asserted that the US never halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine “for anything defensive” that Kiev may require. This statement contrasts with earlier remarks made by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who referred to a “pause.”
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Witkoff indicated that his “best understanding” was that the US “never shut off intelligence. . . for anything defensive that the Ukrainians need.” He mentioned that intelligence sharing would be “on the discussion list” during a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, involving US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ukrainian representatives.
However, when pressed about US weapons deliveries, Witkoff provided less definitive information.
“I think that aid was shut off for a bit of time. I’m really not sure where we are,” he remarked, deferring further questions to Waltz.
On Sunday, when asked by journalists aboard Air Force One if he would contemplate ending the reported intelligence pause, Trump responded: “We just about have. I mean, we really just about have.”
On Friday, various media outlets, including The Washington Post and ABC News, reported a statement from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which indicated that Ukraine’s access to US-funded satellite imagery had been suspended per Trump’s “directive on support to Ukraine.” Maxar, a key US satellite imagery provider, also verified that Ukrainian accounts in the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery program had been temporarily halted.
Time magazine, citing Western and Ukrainian officials, reported that the suspension of intelligence sharing significantly affected Ukraine’s military capabilities, resulting in considerable casualties and territorial losses, particularly in the occupied areas of Russia’s Kursk Region. An unnamed source claimed that Washington’s actions led to “hundreds of dead Ukrainians.”
Trump’s choice to suspend military aid and intelligence sharing followed a public confrontation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House in late February. During the tense exchange, Trump chastised Zelensky for not expressing enough gratitude toward the US and accused him of avoiding a peaceful resolution with Moscow.
When asked on Tuesday about the apparent freeze in US intelligence sharing with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed cautious optimism, suggesting that if the US were to suspend aid entirely, it would “probably be the best contribution to the cause of peace.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
