Washington [US], March 6: The United States has stopped sending Ukraine critical intelligence as relations remain strained following a blow-up between the countries' two leaders at the White House, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday.
In an interview with the Fox Business network, Ratcliffe confirmed there had been a "pause" in support "on the military front and the intelligence front." On Monday, the Trump administration announced it was suspending the delivery of all US military aid to Ukraine.
The country has been defending itself from an all-out attack by Russia for more than three years. But the CIA chief offered Kiev some hope that support could soon be resumed following the recent reconciliation efforts of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said separately on Fox News that if Kiev is willing to put forward "confidence-building measures" then Trump "will take a hard look at lifting this pause."
Zelensky said on Tuesday he was ready to work under Trump's "strong leadership" to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine, days after their explosive Oval Office meeting in which Zelensky called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "killer and terrorist."
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Zelensky's willingness to negotiate for peace a "positive" step but said the Ukrainian leader had legally barred such negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin through a decree he signed in 2022.
"So, in general, the approach is positive, but the nuances have not yet changed," Peskov said. "For the time being, there's still a legal ban on the president of Ukraine negotiating with the Russian side."
A top Zelensky adviser reiterated on Wednesday that Moscow must stop its relentless attacks, if it is truly interested in a peace deal.
Peskov also responded to Kremlin ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's offer to host negotiations in Minsk, calling it "the best place" due to Belarus being Russia's "most important ally."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Zelensky by phone on Wednesday and welcomed the Ukrainian leader's willingness to talk peace, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said.
The two leaders agreed on the importance of Trump's leadership in achieving an early ceasefire and lasting peace in Ukraine.
He added that a first step could be an end to air and naval strikes and attacks on civilian energy infrastructure.
Source: Qatar Tribune
