Trump says the U.S. has “almost” ended its pause on sharing intelligence about Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that the United States is nearing the conclusion of its suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine, expressing optimism about the forthcoming discussions with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia. When asked about the possibility of lifting the suspension, Trump remarked, “We just about have. We just about have.”

CIA Director John Ratcliffe indicated on Wednesday that the U.S. had indeed paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, increasing the pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to collaborate with Trump in organizing peace negotiations with Russia.

This suspension, which could jeopardize lives by impairing Ukraine’s defense capabilities against Russian missile attacks, followed a cessation of U.S. military assistance to Kyiv. U.S. officials are scheduled to meet with a Ukrainian delegation on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, partly to assess Ukraine’s willingness to make significant concessions to Russia to facilitate an end to the conflict. Additionally, the discussions in Jeddah will address the status of a minerals agreement between Washington and Kyiv.

Trump conveyed a positive outlook regarding the negotiations, stating, “We’re going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week.”

Zelenskiy and Trump were initially set to sign the minerals agreement, which would grant the U.S. access to specific mineral resources in Ukraine, but the signing was derailed following a contentious meeting between the two leaders during Zelenskiy’s visit to the White House. Trump expressed his belief that Ukraine would ultimately sign the minerals deal, which Ukraine desires to include a U.S. security guarantee. “They will sign the minerals deal, but I want them to want peace… They haven’t demonstrated it to the extent they should,” he commented.

Furthermore, Trump mentioned that his administration is exploring various options regarding tariffs on Russia and that officials are not worried about military exercises involving Russia, China, and Iran.