National Security Adviser Mike Waltz confirmed on March 5 that the US has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
“We have, we have taken a step back,” he told reporters when asked about suspending intelligence sharing.
Mike Waltz added that the Trump administration was pausing and reviewing “all aspects of this relationship”.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron later announced a meeting of European army chiefs in Paris next week, saying in a televised speech that France must be prepared to move forward without US help.
“I want to believe the US will stay at our side, but we must be ready if that is not the case,” Emmanuel Macron said.
Saying that Europe is in a “new era”, President Macron called for it to increase its defence spending.
He also said that France, along with Ukraine and others, have prepared a durable peace plan.
The US has shared intelligence with Ukraine since the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
On March 3, the US paused military aid to Kyiv following a dramatic breakdown in relations in the Oval Office last week, when Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was told to leave after an angry meeting with US President Donald Trump.
It remains unclear if the pause on intelligence sharing is partial or complete, and how long it will remain in effect.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe also appeared to confirm the decision in an interview on Fox Business on March 5, saying President Trump “had a real question about whether President Zelensky was committed to the peace process, and he said ‘let’s pause, I want to give you a chance to think about that’.”
He said the response came swiftly with President Zelensky’s statement saying he was ready for peace.
John Ratcliffe then added: “On the military front and the intelligence front, the pause that allowed that to happen, will go away and we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.”
Mike Waltz also suggested a more conciliatory tone was emerging between the US and Ukraine, adding that the military aid and intelligence sharing pause could be lifted in the near future.
“I think if we can nail down these negotiations and move towards these negotiations, and in fact, put some confidence-building measures on the table, then the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause,” he told Fox News.
He also said he had “good talks” with his Ukrainian counterpart about the location and substance of potential negotiations, adding there will be movement in “very short order”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the military assistance during a press briefing on March 5, saying the US has simply paused it and is “reconsidering” funding.
Ukraine has heavily relied on the US for military assistance for the three years since Russia’s invasion, and the decision to pause aid may have a significant effect on the war.
Halting intelligence support, too, would likely have serious consequences on the battlefield.
The information is believed to help Ukraine both strategically understand Moscow’s next moves and also tactically, for example providing information on Russian troop positions for weapons guidance and targeting.
