Trump: US “just about” resumes intelligence sharing with Ukraine
Pravda Ukraine
US President Donald Trump has announced that Washington has “just about” resumed intelligence sharing with Ukraine. He has also stated that he expects positive results from upcoming talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.
Source: Reuters
Details: Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One on 9 March, Trump stated that the US is close to lifting the “pause” in intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
“We just about have,” Trump said, responding to a question about whether he is considering unlocking the transfer of intelligence data to Ukraine.
Quote from Reuters: “CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday the US had halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine, piling pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cooperate with Trump in convening peace talks with Russia.”
Details: Trump also expects positive results from talks between US and Ukrainian delegations, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia on 11 March, particularly to determine whether Ukraine is willing to make material concessions to Russia to end the war.
“We’re going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week,” he said.
The agreement on minerals extraction, which will allow the US to access Ukraine’s rare earth resources, will also be discussed.
“They will sign the minerals deal but I want them to want peace… They haven’t shown it to extent they should,” Trump noted.
Background:
- On 9 March, US President Donald Trump reportedly informed his aides that the minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv alone would not be sufficient to resume aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine as officials from both countries gear up for talks in Saudi Arabia this week.
- On 8 March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would be represented by Andrii Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defence Minister Rustem Umierov and Pavlo Palisa, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, at the talks with the US, scheduled for Tuesday, 11 March in Saudi Arabia.
- In his evening address on 9 March, Zelenskyy stressed that he hopes for a positive outcome from the meeting between the Ukrainian and US teams in Saudi Arabia, both in terms of bringing peace closer and ensuring continued support from the United States.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!