CIA pauses intelligence support to Ukraine after Oval Office clash
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Wednesday that the U.S. has paused intelligence support and weapons shipments to Ukraine following the clash in the Oval Office between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump last Friday.
“Trump had a real question about whether President Zelenskyy was committed to the peace process, and he said let’s pause,” Ratcliffe told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo in an interview on Wednesday.
“I want to give a chance to think about that and you saw the response that President Zelenskyy put out,” Ratcliffe added, “So I think on the military front and the intelligence front, the pause that allowed that to happen, I think will go away.”
Ratcliffe expressed hope that the pause will soon be lifted and emphasized his commitment to working with Ukraine towards achieving peace, following a letter from the Ukrainian president to Trump.
“And I think we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have to push back on the aggression that’s there, put the world in a better place for these peace negotiations to move forward,” the CIA director added.
A senior U.S. military official said the U.S. has already curtailed some intelligence sharing, including carrying out fewer intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance flights that could impact both offensive and defensive operations including air defense, since Ukraine depends on U.S. intelligence for overwatch.
In the lead up to Trump’s inauguration, Ratcliffe and the Trump transition team were told of the value of intelligence sharing with Ukraine by U.S. officials who stressed that it was a hallmark of their achievements on the battlefield, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
CNN reported Tuesday that both Ukrainian and U.S. military officials were evaluating the potential impact of suspending military aid.
