National security efforts intended to thwart Russian subversion said to be halting.
A new report from Reuters suggests that U.S. national security operations aimed at countering Russian aggression in Europe have been halted or slowed under the Trump administration. The operations, many of which began under the Biden administration, were designed to counter Russian aggression due to its support for Ukraine.
According to the report, U.S. national security agencies increased their intelligence sharing with Europe and created task forces to combat Russian operations and ensure attacks did not occur in the U.S. However, it appears that many of these programs have been slowed way down under the current administration.
The current administration's approach to countering Russian aggression in Europe appears to be unclear and potentially inconsistent. While some operations and programs have been halted or slowed down, others continue. For instance, under the Biden administration, multiple U.S. national security agencies and departments worked closely with NATO allies and European partners to counter Russia's aggression in Europe.
The White House has not provided a clear explanation for the slowdown or halt of the operations countering Russian aggression in Europe under the Trump administration. Reuters could not determine whether the president has ordered the administration to halt all its work monitoring and combatting Russia's campaign, whether agencies were still working to hire additional staff, or if they are making their own policy decisions independent of the White House.
The AP recently reported that the FBI has put staff on leave who were working to counter election interference operations aimed at the U.S., including those cultivated by Russia. Additionally, the government disbanded a task force aimed at punishing Russian oligarchs.
The outlet also writes that these operations often amounted to little more than violent thuggery, according to government sources. Russia has also used influence campaigns and cyber operations to erode support for Ukraine, according to Western intelligence officials.
The operations aimed at countering Russian aggression on the West, including those initiated under the Biden administration, seem to have slowed down under the current administration, but the exact reasons remain unclear. The agencies involved in the operations countering Russian aggression may be making their own policy decisions independent of the White House, but the exact nature of these decisions remains unclear.
A report last month stated that U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, had issued a "stand down" order on all offensive cyber operations aimed at Russia. However, the Pentagon has denied this claim, stating that there has been no stand-down order whatsoever from that priority.
Over the last three years, Russia has targeted western and European countries with sabotage operations such as arson, attempted assassinations, and planting bombs on cargo aircraft. The U.S. and its allies will continue to monitor and counter these threats to maintain peace and security in the region.
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