Several U.S. national security agencies have suspended their coordinated efforts to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation, and cyberattacks, reducing pressure on Moscow as the Trump administration shifts focus toward ending the war in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Former President Joe Biden had directed his national security team last year to establish working groups to address these threats after U.S. intelligence warned that Russia was escalating its covert activities against Western countries.
This initiative, led by the President’s National Security Council (NSC), involved at least seven national security agencies collaborating with European allies to thwart Russian conspiracies targeting both Europe and the U.S.
Before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Biden’s team briefed the incoming administration on these efforts and urged them to continue monitoring Russia’s hybrid war campaign. However, after Trump assumed office on January 20, much of this work ground to a halt, according to eleven current and former officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Regular meetings between the National Security Council and European officials on national security matters were postponed, and coordination between U.S. agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and State Department, ceased.
Reuters could not confirm whether the Trump administration specifically ordered the halt to all monitoring and counteraction efforts or whether agencies are independently making decisions on staffing and operations. Last month, the FBI ceased its efforts to combat foreign interference in U.S. elections, including those from Russia, and put personnel working on the issue at the Department of Homeland Security on leave. The Justice Department also disbanded a group focused on seizing assets of Russian oligarchs.
It remains unclear to what degree the U.S. is still sharing intelligence on the sabotage campaign with European allies. British officials have stated that intelligence sharing with the U.S. government continues as usual.
An American official at NATO confirmed that the U.S. is still coordinating actions with its allies on this issue but declined to provide further details. The CIA, FBI, and State Department have not commented on the matter.
