Several agencies in the US national security sphere have suspended work on coordinated efforts to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation, and cyberattacks, thus weakening pressure on Moscow, amid the Donald Trump administration's attempts to facilitate an end to Russia's war against Ukraine, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
Details
Last year, former US President Joe Biden ordered his national security team to create working groups to monitor and counter the activities of Russian intelligence services. This happened against the backdrop of US intelligence warnings that Russia is waging a shadow war against Western countries.
The plan was led by the Presidential National Security Council (NSC) and included at least seven national security agencies that cooperated with European allies to counter conspiracies against Europe and the United States.
Before President Donald Trump's inauguration, Biden officials called for continued monitoring of Russia's hybrid warfare campaign, former US officials said.
After Trump took office on January 20, most of the work came to a standstill, 11 current and former officials said.
Reuters notes that it is impossible to determine whether the president ordered the administration to stop all its work on monitoring and combating the Russian campaign, whether the agencies are still working on hiring additional staff, or whether they are making their own policy decisions independently of the White House.
Some officials involved in the working groups have expressed concern that the Trump administration is not prioritizing the issue, despite intelligence warnings. This change occurred after the curtailment of other Russia-oriented projects launched by the Biden administration. In particular, this concerns the FBI's investigation into the facts of Russian interference in the US elections.
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The pause in interagency efforts to counter Russian sabotage came as Trump changed US policy toward Ukraine and Europe. He has raised concerns among some current and former US and European officials that Ukraine may be forced to enter into a ceasefire favorable to Russia.
In recent weeks, Trump has made statements and policy moves that have appeared to favor Russia, drawing criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans. But the president has argued that the conflict in Ukraine could escalate into World War III and that improving relations with Russia is in America's strategic interest.
Some analysts told Reuters that cutting back on work to counter Moscow's hybrid warfare tactics would prove dangerous for the United States.
Addition
It also became known that Trump did not discuss with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin the issue of ending aid to Ukraine.
Commenting on Russian media reports that during the conversation Putin demanded an immediate end to US aid to Ukraine to reach a multi-stage peace agreement, the head of the White House noted that this information is not true.
On March 18, Trump and Putin had a telephone conversation that lasted more than an hour and a half. According to a CNN source, the conversation between Trump and Putin went "very well".