- The National Security Council has ceased its routine meetings with European officials regarding Russian sabotage, sources say.
- Trump’s closeness to Moscow raises concerns among officials about a potential truce in Ukraine that would favor Russia.
- The Biden administration previously set up working groups to keep an eye on the increasing Russian military actions.
NEW YORK/BERLIN: Multiple U.S. national security agencies have stopped their coordinated efforts to combat Russian disinformation, sabotage, and cyber threats, potentially relieving pressure on Moscow as the Trump administration urges Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
Last year, former President Joe Biden instructed his national security team to create working groups to monitor Russian activities in light of U.S. intelligence warnings about Russia intensifying its covert operations against Western countries.
The initiative, spearheaded by the President’s National Security Council (NSC), involved at least seven national security agencies collaborating with European allies to thwart operations targeting the U.S. and Europe, according to seven former officials involved in the working groups who spoke with Reuters.
Prior to Donald Trump being sworn in, his incoming administration was briefed by Biden officials about these efforts and encouraged to continue monitoring Russia’s unconventional warfare tactics, the officials added.
However, since Trump took office on January 20, many of these efforts have come to a halt, according to eleven current and former officials who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information.
Reuters was the first to reveal the comprehensive nature of the Biden administration’s initiative and the subsequent pause in operations by various U.S. agencies.
Regular meetings between the NSC and European counterparts dedicated to national security issues have been put on hold, and formal coordination among U.S. agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and State Department, has ceased, as noted by the current and former officials.
It remains unclear whether the President has directed an outright cessation of all efforts to monitor and combat Russia’s activities, whether agencies are still trying to recruit additional personnel, or if they are making autonomous policy decisions without the White House’s directive.
Some insiders have expressed concern that the Trump administration is deprioritizing the issue despite intelligence alerts. This shift has occurred alongside the dismantling of other Russia-centric initiatives initiated by the Biden administration.
For instance, last month, the FBI concluded its operations intended to combat foreign interference in U.S. elections, including threats from Russia, and placed staff members working on these matters on leave within the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Justice also disbanded a team that had been responsible for seizing assets belonging to Russian oligarchs.
The White House has not communicated to career officials previously involved whether the cross-agency working groups will be re-established, according to current U.S. officials.
The extent of ongoing intelligence-sharing related to the sabotage campaign with European allies remains uncertain. However, UK government officials have indicated that standard intelligence sharing between the U.S. and the UK continues unabated.
When approached for comment regarding the suspension of coordinated efforts, the White House directed inquiries to the NSC.
Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, stated that the NSC “coordinates with relevant agencies to evaluate and mitigate threats against Americans.”
“President Trump has made it very clear that any attack against the U.S. will prompt a disproportionate response,” he added.
A senior U.S. official at NATO confirmed that coordination with allies continues on these matters but refrained from providing further details. The CIA, FBI, and State Department declined to comment.
Anitta Hipper, spokesperson for the EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated that she had no specific information to offer regarding the suspension of some intelligence-sharing sessions.
She mentioned that the EU was collaborating with NATO to counter hybrid threats, which encompass a wide range of issues from physical sabotage of key infrastructure to disinformation campaigns.
New Approach to Europe
The pause in the cross-agency initiative comes as Trump alters U.S. policy towards Europe and Ukraine, prompting worries among some current and former officials, both American and European, that Ukraine might be pressured into a truce that benefits Russia.
Recently, Trump has made comments and enacted policies that seem to align favorably with Russian interests, eliciting criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans.
Nonetheless, the President maintains that the Ukraine conflict could escalate into World War III, asserting that better relations with Russia are in the United States’ strategic best interest.
Putin agreed to a proposal from Trump on Tuesday for a 30-day ceasefire regarding attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure, following an extensive phone conversation between the two leaders, the Kremlin reported.
Experts have warned to Reuters that reducing efforts to counter Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics could pose significant risks for the United States.
“We’re opting to turn a blind eye to possible acts of war against us,” said Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank based in Washington that has criticized Trump’s engagements with Putin.
Over the past three years, Russia has recruited operatives from various European nations to execute sabotage missions across the continent—ranging from arson and assassination attempts to planting explosives on cargo planes. Additionally, Russia has employed influence campaigns and cyber operations to undermine support for Ukraine, according to Western intelligence officials.
These intelligence officials noted that while the number of sabotage incidents by Russia declined at the end of 2024, they anticipated that Moscow would maintain its hybrid warfare efforts as long as Western support for Ukraine persists.
Asked about the suspension of some of Washington’s activities related to its hybrid warfare tracking, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked that the Trump administration was attempting to eliminate “everything ineffective, corrupt, and implausible,” an approach he deemed “understandable.”
He added that Western allegations regarding Russia’s involvement in sabotage on U.S. and European soil are “baseless and fleeting,” with no evidence to substantiate them.
