US suspends some efforts to counter Russian sabotage as Trump moves closer to Putin

NEW YORK/BERLIN: Several US national security agencies have halted work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation and cyberattacks, easing pressure on Moscow as the Trump Administration pushes Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

Former President Joe Biden last year ordered his national security team to establish working groups to monitor the issue amid warnings from US intelligence that Russia was escalating a shadow war against Western nations.

The plan was led by the president’s National Security Council (NSC) and involved at least seven national security agencies working with European allies to disrupt plots targeting Europe and the United States, seven former officials who participated in the working groups told Reuters.

Before President Donald Trump was inaugurated, his incoming administration was briefed by Biden officials about the efforts and urged to continue monitoring Russia’s hybrid warfare campaign, the former US officials said.

However, since Trump took office on Jan. 20 much of the work has come to a standstill, according to eleven current and former officials, all of whom requested anonymity to discuss classified matters. Reuters is the first to report on the full extent of the Biden administration effort and how multiple different US agencies have since paused their work on the issue.

Regular meetings between the National Security Council and European national security officials have gone unscheduled, and the NSC has also stopped formally coordinating efforts across US agencies, including with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, the current and former officials said.

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.

Some officials involved in the working groups said they are concerned that the Trump administration is de-prioritizing the issue despite intelligence warnings. The change follows the unwinding of other Russia-focused projects launched by Biden’s administration.

The FBI last month ended an effort to counter interference in US elections by foreign adversaries including Russia and put on leave staff working on the issue at the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Justice also disbanded a team that seized the assets of Russian oligarchs.

The White House has not told career officials who’d previously participated in the effort whether it will recreate the cross-agency working groups, according to the current US officials.

It is unclear to what extent the US is still sharing intelligence related to the sabotage campaign with European allies. UK government officials said that routine intelligence sharing between the United States and the British government continues.

When asked for comment about the suspension of the coordinated efforts, the White House deferred to the NSC.

Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said that it coordinates “with relevant agencies to assess and thwart threats posed to Americans.”

“President Trump has made it abundantly clear that any attack on the US will be met with a disproportionate response,” he said.

A senior US official at NATO said the US was still coordinating with its allies on the issue but declined to offer more detail. The CIA, FBI and the State Department declined to comment.

Anitta Hipper, EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said she had no specific information to share when asked about the suspension of some intelligence-sharing meetings.