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The Trump administration has quietly halted a coordinated US government effort to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation, and cyberattacks, easing pressure on Moscow even as its shadow war against Western nations continues, according to multiple former and current officials cited by Reuters.
The effort, initially led by President Joe Biden’s National Security Council (NSC) and involving at least seven national security agencies, was designed to monitor and disrupt Russian hybrid warfare operations.
European allies had been key partners in the initiative, which focused on intelligence-sharing and developing joint countermeasures to sabotage plots and cyber intrusions. However, since President Donald Trump took office in January, much of that work has ground to a halt, Reuters cited eleven officials as saying.
A coordinated effort left in limbo
The Biden administration had intensified these efforts in response to mounting intelligence that Russia was escalating covert attacks on Western targets, including arson attacks across Europe and attempts to assassinate individuals aiding Ukraine’s war effort.
In 2024, the US intelligence community warned that Moscow had stepped up its efforts to undermine support for Kyiv through sabotage operations, prompting Biden to direct US agencies to enhance intelligence-sharing with European partners and establish working groups to coordinate responses.
One high-profile success came when US intelligence tipped off Germany about an assassination plot targeting the CEO of Rheinmetall, a major defense manufacturer supplying weapons to Ukraine. German authorities were able to disrupt the plan, illustrating the effectiveness of the US-led initiative.
But in the months since the administration changed hands, regular coordination meetings between the NSC and European national security officials have gone unscheduled, according to former officials involved in the process. The NSC has also stopped formally coordinating cross-agency efforts with the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department.
White House officials have not clarified whether the working groups will be reinstated. In response to questions about the change in policy, the White House deferred to the NSC, whose spokesperson, Brian Hughes, insisted that the US continues to assess and counter threats to national security.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“President Trump has made it abundantly clear that any attack on the US will be met with a disproportionate response,” Hughes said.
Russia’s ongoing shadow war
Russia’s hybrid warfare campaign intensified after it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago. Moscow’s intelligence agencies have since expanded their operations beyond Ukraine, targeting Western infrastructure, businesses, and individuals seen as supporting Kyiv’s resistance.
Among the most brazen incidents was a series of arson attacks across Europe in 2024, including a fire at a London warehouse linked to a Ukrainian-born businessman.
These incidents, part of a broader campaign to destabilise European resolve, spotlighted the need for coordinated countermeasures.
Congress has allocated $175 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began, making the US a key target in Moscow’s retaliatory operations. Under Biden, US national security agencies had worked with European counterparts to create joint response protocols, including new arrest procedures and potential harsher prison sentences for those convicted of participating in Russian-backed sabotage efforts.
Some of these measures remain under discussion in European capitals, but US involvement in pushing them forward has largely ceased, officials say.
Concerns over shifting priorities
For many career officials in the US national security establishment, the decision to halt these efforts raises concerns that the Trump administration is deprioritising Russian hybrid threats, despite intelligence warnings.
Biden officials had briefed Trump’s incoming team on the importance of continuing the initiative before he took office, urging them not to let Russia’s influence operations go unchecked.
However, with key agencies now disengaging from the effort, the extent of US intelligence-sharing with Europe remains unclear.
With inputs from Reuters
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