This week, Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John Ratcliffe made an unpublicized visit to Brussels, where he met with high-ranking European Union foreign policy and intelligence officials. This was reported by Politico, citing three sources familiar with the matter, UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that Ratcliffe also met with the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas.
The purpose... was to calm nerves and reaffirm Washington's commitment to intelligence sharing, as some European capitals grow uneasy about the direction of US foreign policy under President Donald Trump.
It is indicated that the constant changes in the Trump administration's policy towards Ukraine, such as the abrupt cessation of combat intelligence sharing with Kyiv last March, and its desire to politicize intelligence by appointing Trump loyalists, have shaken European confidence in Washington's reliability.
"The diplomatic push comes at a delicate moment. European services are working to overcome decades of distrust to create a joint EU intelligence operation to counter Russian aggression, while reviewing their intelligence-sharing arrangements with the US," the media adds.
Recall
In late August, the US narrowed access to information about negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, prohibiting sharing full intelligence with its "Five Eyes" allies. This decision sparked discussions about the effectiveness of cooperation and national interests.