President Trump may want more than the long-anticipated minerals and economic partnership deal to end the pause he has put on U.S. military and intelligence support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, but his specific terms for restarting aid remain murky.
“The president of the United States did not say it has ended. He said it is paused. That is transitional,” U.S. envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg told Margaret Brennan in conversation at Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday. The envoy indicated he personally was unaware of what would determine that decision.
“That’s his call. And I would leave it up to him to make the decision when he thinks it’s equitable or when it’s—when a pause should be lifted,” Kellogg added.
Diplomatic sources told CBS on Sunday that there is no indication that U.S. aid will be switched back on.
“I think we can see the impact. It’s certainly, on the one hand, emboldened Russia to really step up the attacks. And it’s also not just blindsided, but also partially blinded Ukraine,” said Fiona Hill, former senior director for European and Russian affairs on the U.S. National Security Council during Mr. Trump’s first administration, to Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation.”
“And frankly, I think it’s going to be an impetus to other allies to start stepping up their own capabilities and questioning themselves about the virtues of sharing with the United States,” Hill added. “I mean, this is a two way street. We have to remember that other countries also share pretty vital information with the United States, even if the scale is not quite the same.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet with Ukrainian officials this week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the first face-to-face discussions since the explosive Oval Office confrontation between Presidents Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy that triggered the U.S. cutoff. National security adviser Mike Waltz made remarks Friday in the Oval Office that raised expectations that he would discuss not only reviving a minerals deal but also try to get a ceasefire in place, and “drive peace home.” Trump friend and envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff separately announced that he’d be part of the team.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy will not be in the Tuesday meeting. He announced that he would be in Saudi Arabia on Monday, and that a Ukrainian delegation — including key aide Andry Yermak, along with Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, and deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa — would meet with the Americans.
Ukraine envoy Kellogg told Brennan on Thursday that the Trump administration was waiting on what he referred to as Ukraine’s “term sheet” for ending the war, and said the Russian version had already been received. Tammy Bruce, the State Department spokesperson, said in a statement on Friday that Rubio spoke with Ukraine’s foreign minister about “all sides” taking steps to secure a sustainable peace, which would suggest a request for Ukrainian concessions. It is not clear if Russia has offered any at all. Kellogg said that Trump has talked about the potential of Ukraine getting territory back from the Russians, but acknowledged that the U.S. president did not specify which territory.
It is also unclear what would trigger any U.S. pressure on Russia. Mr. Trump posted on social media that he would consider sanctions on Russian energy and banking, but then later said in the Oval Office that Putin’s stepped up attacks on Ukraine during the U.S. pause was something “anybody would do.”
“I don’t believe what he said for a second about the sanctions,” said Fiona Hill on “Face the Nation.” “I believe more what he just said there in the Oval Office, sitting behind, you know, the resolute desk.”
“He sees, you know, obviously, the Ukraine- Ukrainians, and he said that in the Oval Office during the meeting with President Zelensky, that he sees them on the back foot, as losing, and he’s basically telling them that they have to capitulate. Very clear,” she continued
Kellogg said Thursday that there was room for further U.S. pressure on Moscow especially when it comes to enforcement of existing sanctions.
“I think it was between one to 10, we’re probably at a seven. The problem is with enforcement we’re probably at a three,” Kellogg said. “I think the most important thing is the enforcement sanctions, not to serve the sanctions themselves.”
CBS News confirmed via three U.S. officials that the U.S. has paused lethal intelligence sharing with Ukraine, which includes no longer providing coordinates for targeting of Ukrainian strikes for US provided weapons like HIMARS.
In a statement Saturday, private sector company Maxar imagery confirmed that the US government had “temporarily suspended Ukrainian accounts” in its Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery program, which provides Ukraine access to commercial satellite imagery collected by U.S. intelligence.
The Trump administration also halted the transfer of any of the $3.85 billion in remaining military equipment designated for delivery to Ukraine. In addition, the European Command told CBS in a statement that it had been ordered to mothball deliveries of weapons already in transit from past shipments approved by the Biden administration prior to January 20th.
Two U.S. officials confirmed that the government is still sharing some intelligence with Ukraine to allow its forces to protect themselves against Russian attacks. Republican Rep Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania , a member of the intelligence committee, told “Face the Nation” on Sunday that lawmakers would be briefed on the specifics of the Trump intel cutoff this coming week.
