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How Will the U.S. ‘Pause’ on Intelligence Sharing Affect Ukraine?

Experts say the U.S. is 'limiting the visibility of the battlefield' for Ukraine

How Will the U.S. ‘Pause’ on Intelligence Sharing Affect Ukraine?

A U.S. M142 HIMARS launches a rocket on a Russian position on December 29, 2023 in an unspecified location in eastern Ukraine. (Photo by Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The U.S. has temporarily stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, the latest blow to U.S. support for Kyiv following last week’s Oval Office clash between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed the “pause” on Wednesday morning, and national security advisor Mike Waltz said the halt, in addition to the suspension of further military aid deliveries to Ukraine, will only be lifted once a date for peace talks with Russia is set. 

Ukraine relies on U.S. intelligence assistance to select Russian targets for weapons, including U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), as well as to prepare for Russian attacks. There are reports that some informal intelligence sharing may be continuing, but not for “time-sensitive or high-value intelligence.” The intelligence curbs appear to apply to both U.S. government and commercial assistance; American aerospace company Maxar Technologies confirmed it had disabled access to its satellite imagery for Ukraine, and the National Geospatial Agency said it “temporarily suspended access” of Ukraine to the system that provides commercial satellite imagery purchased by the U.S. 

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