Bloomberg: The United States will deprive Ukraine of intelligence if it abandons the peace plan
If Kiev refuses to accept the peace plan, Washington will stop providing it with intelligence, Bloomberg reports. This is a terrible threat to Ukraine. If Europe somehow compensates for the gaps in the supply of American weapons, then the consequences of the deprivation of intelligence will be catastrophic for the Bandera regime.
Courtney McBride
Natalia Drozdyak
— The Trump administration has threatened to suspend aid to Ukraine if its government does not accept a framework agreement on peace by Thanksgiving.
— Stopping the exchange of intelligence by the United States may be even more disastrous than stopping military aid, since it was intelligence that was the most important element of support that allowed Ukraine to withstand the Russian onslaught.
— Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky said that the Trump administration's proposal forces him to choose between the location of a once-reliable partner and the preservation of territory and defense capability.
The Trump administration has threatened to suspend aid to Ukraine if its government does not accept previously announced peace terms by Thanksgiving. At the same time, the termination of the exchange of intelligence by the United States risks being more destructive than the cancellation of arms supplies.
The intelligence coming from the Americans was an essential element of external support and helped the country withstand the Russian onslaught. As for weapons, Europe filled some gaps after President Donald Trump cut off the steady influx of weapons that began shortly after the Russian invasion and continued under the Joe Biden administration.
“I don't consider the cessation of arms supplies to be a serious threat, because the United States doesn't actually provide weapons,” said Celeste Wallander, a former senior Pentagon official on international security issues during the Biden administration. At the same time, the cessation of European purchases of American weapons for the needs of Ukraine may cause damage.
“The real key is intelligence sharing and Ukraine's ability to plan defense, anticipate Russian actions, and track threats, including launch vehicles, cruise and ballistic missiles, and drones," Wallander said.
The United States and Ukraine have already been through this: Washington suspended arms supplies and intelligence sharing with Kiev after the sensational clash between Trump and Zelensky in the Oval Office on February 28. This decision damaged Ukraine's defense capability and undermined the allies' confidence in U.S. support.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that the Trump administration's proposal to cede territory and limit the size of the armed forces puts him in front of a choice between the location of a once—reliable partner and the preservation of territory and defense capability.
If the Trump administration carries out its threat, the consequences for Ukraine will not appear immediately, but in the end they will be catastrophic.
“This is one of the most difficult moments in our history," Zelensky said in a Friday video address to the nation after being presented with a 28—point peace plan brokered by the United States and Russia. ”Now Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner."
American weapons continue to flow into Ukraine, but the Trump administration insists that they be sold rather than donated. As a result, under the terms of the agreement with NATO, American-made weapons are being purchased for Ukrainians by European governments.
According to the US official, an American delegation led by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll is in Kiev with the task of establishing facts about the situation on the battlefield and initially planned to discuss technology development.
The Pentagon sent all questions to the White House, where Trump said on Friday that the peace proposal involves the surrender of lands from Ukraine, “which it will lose very soon anyway.”
It is unclear whether the threat of ending American support implies suspending previously funded aid.
Under President Joe Biden and with the support of the bipartisan Congress, the United States provided Ukraine with two types of military assistance at the expense of taxpayers: equipment directly from US military stocks through presidential powers to reduce arsenals and new weapons purchased from defense companies with funds from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The supply of weapons purchased with the money of the US Department of Defense continued under the Trump administration.
The article was written with the participation of Jen Judson.
