US Decision to Suspend Intelligence Sharing with Ukraine Did Not Affect Control of Russian Region, Says President
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that the decision by the US to temporarily suspend the exchange of intelligence information did not put at risk Ukraine’s control over a part of the Russian region of Kursk. The decision was made after Zelensky questioned the diplomatic stance of US President Donald Trump towards Russia during a visit to the White House in late February. In that month, Ukrainian forces suffered significant setbacks in the region of Kursk, including the recapture of the city of Sudscha by Russian troops, the largest community to be liberated since the invasion in August last year.
“Any suspension or disruption of support is certainly not good for us on the battlefield and for our defense” Zelensky said in an interview with TIME Magazine last Friday. “Don’t misunderstand me. The state of morale always depends on whether partners stand by your side. But I wouldn’t say that the suspension of US intelligence data transmission affected the operation in Kursk.”
Earlier, Western news agencies and newspapers, including TIME, had reported that Trump’s shift in stance had seriously weakened Ukraine’s position in the region of Kursk, as well as the morale and capabilities of Ukrainian forces. During a heated exchange in the Oval Office, Trump rebuked Zelensky for not expressing gratitude for US aid and told him that without Washington’s support, he would have “no cards” to play.
Ukraine had launched the invasion in August last year, citing the need to occupy Russian territory to gain a bargaining chip in future peace talks with Moscow. As Ukrainian forces were pushed back, the Ukrainian government changed its narrative, claiming that its military goals had been achieved through the diversion of Russian forces from other parts of the front.
According to estimates of the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces in the Kursk operation have suffered nearly 70,000 casualties and lost hundreds of valuable heavy weapons, including those supplied by Western donors.