President Donald Trump has escalated his efforts to curtail Western support for Ukraine by not only halting U.S. military intelligence sharing but also instructing the U.K. to withhold American intelligence from Kyiv. This move comes as Trump pushes for an end to the war while questioning Ukraine’s commitment to peace negotiations.
Reports indicate that U.K. intelligence agencies, including GCHQ and military intelligence units, have been ordered to cease passing along U.S.-sourced intelligence to Ukraine. Previously, the U.K. and other Western allies had freely shared this information to assist Ukraine in its military operations against Russian forces. Now, those channels have been cut off, leaving Ukrainian forces with fewer strategic resources on the battlefield.
🚨Breaking: The US has banned Britain from sharing any military intelligence with Ukraine.
This is akin to being kicked out of the five eyes, it also signals the lowest point in UK/USA relations.
We need new leadership in this country and it is needed fast. pic.twitter.com/VCoVX7Gf16
— Darren of Plymouth (@wolsned) March 5, 2025
The shift follows Trump’s decision to freeze U.S. military aid to Ukraine, which had already sparked concern among Ukrainian officials about their ability to sustain their defenses.
During a contentious meeting at the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly clashed with Vice President JD Vance and refused to sign an economic agreement involving rare earth minerals without additional security assurances. Trump later dismissed Zelensky’s concerns, stating he believed Ukraine was more interested in prolonging the war than reaching a resolution.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that intelligence-sharing channels with Kyiv had been paused, emphasizing that Trump wanted to see Ukraine take real steps toward negotiations before further assistance was considered. Reports also suggest that the U.S. has scaled back its surveillance flights over Ukraine, limiting Kyiv’s ability to track Russian troop movements and missile launches.
The sudden restriction on intelligence-sharing has left European nations scrambling to determine how they will continue supporting Ukraine. While the U.K. and France have pledged further assistance, Trump has made it clear that he expects them to take on a larger role instead of relying on U.S. support.
Zelensky, who had been pushing for more weapons and intelligence access, now faces an uphill battle as U.S. pressure mounts for Ukraine and Russia to come to the negotiating table. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signaled that the U.K. will continue its involvement, though it remains unclear how much intelligence will be available without access to U.S. resources.
