U.S. has paused initiatives to counter Russian sabotage as Trump deepens his relationship with Putin

Multiple U.S. national security agencies have suspended their collaborative efforts to combat Russian sabotage, disinformation, and cyberattacks, thereby reducing the pressure on Moscow as the Trump Administration urges Russia to cease its military actions in Ukraine.

Last year, former President Joe Biden directed his national security team to form working groups to address this issue, following alerts from U.S. intelligence regarding Russia’s intensifying covert operations against Western countries.

The initiative was spearheaded by the National Security Council (NSC) and involved collaboration among at least seven national security agencies alongside European allies to thwart schemes aimed at Europe and the United States, as reported by seven former officials who were part of the working groups.

Prior to Donald Trump’s inauguration, his incoming administration received briefings from Biden’s team about these efforts and was encouraged to maintain vigilance regarding Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics, according to the former U.S. officials.

However, since Trump assumed office on January 20, much of the initiative has stalled, as indicated by eleven current and former officials who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information. Reuters is the first to reveal the comprehensive nature of the Biden administration’s efforts and the subsequent pause in activities by various U.S. agencies.

Regular meetings between the National Security Council and European counterparts have been canceled, and the NSC has ceased formal coordination among U.S. agencies, including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department, according to the current and former officials.

Reuters was unable to ascertain whether the president has instructed the administration to cease all activities related to monitoring and countering Russia’s operations, whether agencies are still in the process of hiring additional personnel, or if they are independently making policy decisions without White House input.

Some officials involved in the working groups expressed concern that the Trump administration is deprioritizing this issue, despite warnings from intelligence sources. This shift follows the dismantling of other Russia-related initiatives initiated by the Biden administration.

Last month, the FBI concluded its efforts to combat foreign interference in U.S. elections, including actions against Russia, and placed staff working on this matter at the Department of Homeland Security on leave. Additionally, the Department of Justice disbanded a team responsible for seizing assets from Russian oligarchs.

According to current U.S. officials, the White House has not informed career officials who were previously engaged in these efforts about the potential reestablishment of cross-agency working groups.

It remains uncertain how much intelligence related to the sabotage campaign is still being shared with European allies. UK government officials have indicated that routine intelligence exchanges between the United States and the UK continue.

When asked for comments regarding the suspension of coordinated efforts, the White House referred inquiries to the National Security Council (NSC). Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the NSC, stated that the council collaborates with relevant agencies to evaluate and counter threats to Americans. He emphasized that “President Trump has made it abundantly clear that any attack on the U.S. will be met with a disproportionate response.”

A senior U.S. official at NATO confirmed that the U.S. is still working with its allies on this matter but did not provide further details. The CIA, FBI, and State Department chose not to comment.

Anitta Hipper, the EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated that she had no detailed information to provide regarding the suspension of certain intelligence-sharing meetings. She emphasized that the EU is collaborating with NATO to address hybrid threats, which encompass a range of issues from the physical sabotage of critical infrastructure to disinformation campaigns.

NEW POLICY TOWARD EUROPE

The halt in this inter-agency initiative coincides with President Trump’s shift in U.S. policy towards Europe and Ukraine, raising concerns among some current and former officials in both the U.S. and Europe that Ukraine might be compelled to accept a truce that favors Russia. In recent weeks, Trump has made remarks and taken actions that seem to align with Russian interests, prompting backlash from both Democrats and some Republicans. Nevertheless, the president contends that the situation in Ukraine could escalate into World War Three, asserting that fostering better relations with Russia serves America’s strategic goals.

On Tuesday, Putin accepted Trump’s proposal for a 30-day cessation of attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure, as reported by the Kremlin following an extensive phone conversation between the two leaders. Analysts have warned that scaling back efforts to counter Moscow’s hybrid warfare tactics could be perilous for the U.S. Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank, remarked, “We are choosing to ignore potential acts of war against us,” expressing her concerns about Trump’s approach to engagement with Putin.

In the past three years, Russia has enlisted criminals from various European nations to carry out sabotage activities throughout the continent, which include arson, assassination attempts, and the placement of explosives on cargo planes. Additionally, Russian operatives have engaged in influence campaigns and cyber operations aimed at undermining support for Ukraine, according to Western intelligence officials who spoke to Reuters.

These officials noted a decrease in the number of sabotage incidents attributed to Russia by the end of 2024, but they cautioned that Moscow is likely to persist with its hybrid warfare tactics as long as Western backing for Ukraine remains strong. When questioned about the slowdown in some of Washington’s efforts to monitor its hybrid warfare initiatives, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked that the Trump administration was attempting to eliminate “everything ineffective, corrupt, and implausible,” which he deemed “understandable.” He further dismissed Western claims of Russian sabotage in the U.S. and Europe as “empty and ephemeral,” asserting that they lack substantiation.

SHADOW WAR

Following the incursion of Russian forces into Ukraine three years ago, Moscow’s intelligence agencies initiated a covert campaign aimed at undermining the U.S.-led initiative to support Kyiv’s defense, as reported by six Western intelligence and national security officials to Reuters. Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Congress has allocated $175 billion in aid to Ukraine.

Moscow’s retaliatory actions against the West intensified in the spring of 2024, marked by arson incidents across Europe, including one targeting a warehouse in London linked to a Ukrainian-born businessman. In November, six individuals were charged with aggravated arson in a British court for this incident, with at least two admitting to receiving payments from a foreign intelligence agency. A trial is scheduled to commence in June.

In light of the recent increase in threats, President Biden instructed his national security agencies to enhance intelligence collaboration with European counterparts and establish task forces aimed at countering Russian activities, as well as preventing potential attacks on U.S. soil, according to former U.S. officials.

American intelligence operatives, in conjunction with domestic law enforcement, determined that Moscow’s targets included not only Russian dissidents globally but also civilians supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts.

The U.S. informed Germany of an assassination plot against the CEO of Rheinmetall, a German arms manufacturer supplying weapons to Ukraine, as reported by two former senior U.S. officials. German authorities successfully thwarted the attempt, while Rheinmetall chose not to comment on the matter.

By late summer, the National Security Council organized both in-person and virtual meetings with European national security representatives to exchange intelligence regarding threats in Europe and to synchronize investigations, according to four former senior U.S. officials.

This collaboration resulted in joint strategies to address sabotage incidents, which included protocols for arrests and a proposal for lengthier prison sentences for those found guilty, as noted by the same officials.

A memorandum created by the U.S. and the U.K. at the end of 2024 recommended, among other measures, that European law enforcement agencies enhance cooperation to monitor criminal networks involved in sabotage activities. It also suggested that European governments diminish their diplomatic presence in Moscow to compel Russia to reduce its personnel in European embassies, according to two senior U.S. officials.

Some of these initiatives are still being deliberated among European nations, as indicated by one former senior U.S. official. The British embassy in Washington did not provide a response to a request for comment.

Unlike its Western allies, the Trump administration is currently engaged in discussions with Moscow regarding the potential expansion of Russia’s diplomatic presence in Washington, according to a senior U.S. official. The White House has not provided any comments regarding the memo or the proposal to enhance Russia’s diplomatic footprint.

U.S. agencies, such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), have been monitoring Russian influence operations and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure in the United States for several years. Under President Biden, leading cybersecurity officials coordinated an interagency effort to inform European nations about Russia’s attempts to sway local elections and strategies to counter Moscow’s threats to national security, as noted by a former senior U.S. official.

The victory of far-right, pro-Putin candidate Calin Georgescu in the initial round of Romania’s presidential election in November was overturned by the country’s constitutional court after declassified Romanian intelligence reports suggested potential Russian interference—a decision that faced criticism from Trump’s Vice President JD Vance. Both Georgescu and Moscow have denied any involvement in meddling.

CISA Deputy Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin informed Reuters that the agency had placed staff members involved in addressing misinformation and disinformation on its election security team on administrative leave, though she did not provide further details.

McLaughlin stated that CISA is “dedicated to tackling all cyber threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, including those originating from Russia.”

THREAT TO THE HOMELAND

In a demonstration of collaboration under the Biden administration, teams from the State Department and various agencies were sent to assist European nations in investigating damage to several vital undersea cables. One such team traveled to Copenhagen in December following Finland’s seizure of a tanker suspected of dragging its anchor across the Baltic Sea floor, intentionally harming cable networks, according to both a former and a current senior U.S. official.

The tanker, known as the Eagle S, is believed by Western intelligence to be part of a covert fleet operated by Russia to circumvent oil sanctions. Russia has denied any involvement in the recent incidents affecting the cables. However, some Western intelligence and national security officials warn that there is no definitive evidence linking Moscow directly to all the recent cable damage incidents.

In mid-2024, U.S. agencies gathered intelligence indicating that Russia might plan to detonate an incendiary device on a cargo or passenger aircraft within U.S. airspace, raising significant concern in the United States, as reported by multiple former officials to Reuters. “This posed a psychologically distinct threat compared to sabotage operations in Europe that were damaging property,” remarked one former senior U.S. official. “Bringing down planes represents an entirely different level of risk.”

Although there was no definitive proof that Moscow had devised a plan to launch an attack within the United States, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security developed strategies for domestic agencies to enhance the screening of cargo entering the country.

U.S. officials expressed significant concern, prompting President Biden to instruct his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and CIA Director Bill Burns to caution Putin and his senior aides that if the aggressive actions persisted, particularly within the U.S., Washington might designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Such a classification would further alienate Russia’s economy from the global market.

The New York Times was the first to report on the discussions between Biden’s administration and the Kremlin. Since those meetings, no attacks have occurred on U.S. soil, and the frequency of sabotage incidents in Europe decreased by the end of 2024, as noted by three Western intelligence officials who credited this shift to increased vigilance from Western governments and enhanced cooperation between Europe and the U.S.

Nevertheless, several Western intelligence officials believe that Russia is likely to maintain its campaign as long as the U.S. and Europe continue their support for Ukraine.