U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States has “just about” ended its suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine, expressing optimism about the outcome of upcoming talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
When asked if the suspension would be fully lifted, Trump responded, “We just about have. We just about have.”
Earlier, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed on Wednesday that the U.S. had paused its intelligence-sharing efforts with Ukraine. This move increased pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to cooperate with Trump in organizing peace negotiations with Russia.
The suspension of intelligence sharing, which is critical for Ukraine’s defense against Russian missile attacks, followed a previous halt to U.S. military aid to Kyiv. Experts have warned that this could lead to significant risks for Ukraine’s ability to defend itself effectively.
On Tuesday, U.S. officials are set to meet with a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia to discuss various issues, including Ukraine’s potential willingness to make concessions to Russia in order to end the ongoing war. Additionally, the talks in Jeddah will address the fate of a minerals agreement between Washington and Kyiv.
Trump expressed confidence in the upcoming negotiations, stating, “We’re going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week.”
Prior to the tensions between the two leaders, Trump and Zelenskiy had been scheduled to sign a minerals accord that would grant the U.S. access to valuable mineral resources in Ukraine. However, their White House meeting escalated into a disagreement, and the deal was never finalized.
On Sunday, Trump said he believed Ukraine would eventually sign the minerals agreement, which Kyiv views as essential for securing a U.S. security guarantee.
“They will sign the minerals deal, but I want them to desire peace… They haven’t shown it to the extent they should,” Trump remarked.
He also mentioned that his administration is considering various options concerning tariffs on Russia. Additionally, he indicated that officials were not overly concerned about joint military exercises involving Russia, China, and Iran.
This article was produced by Reuters news agency and has not been edited by Global South
WRITTEN BY MR KENDRICK
