The United States has resumed sharing critical intelligence with Ukraine to aid in defending against Russian missile attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in remarks published Tuesday. The resumption follows a brief pause in intelligence-sharing that had raised concerns in Kyiv about its ability to anticipate fast-moving Russian ballistic missile strikes targeting Ukrainian cities.
Speaking on NBC’s "Meet the Press," Zelensky acknowledged that the interruption in intelligence flow had been resolved, describing the current arrangement as “de-blocked” and expressing gratitude for the restored support. He emphasized the importance of this intelligence for Ukraine’s defense capabilities amid ongoing Russian military operations.
However, Zelensky also voiced apprehension over recent U.S. policy decisions that he believes could undermine Ukraine's position. Specifically, he criticized a deal signed by the United States to import Russian diesel fuel and a waiver of sanctions on Russia scheduled to take effect this week. Zelensky warned that aligning with Russia through such actions would significantly weaken Ukraine’s ability to resist Moscow’s aggression. “If the US will officially take the side of Russia, of course if these two countries will be together, of course we will not prevail and we will not be able to stand,” he said.
These comments highlight growing tensions between Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration has maintained that intelligence sharing continues despite Ukrainian reports of unannounced Russian strikes. The past week has seen a widening rift between the two leaders, prompting concerns about the impact on Kyiv’s overall support from Washington.
Zelensky expressed hope that Trump would reverses some of his recent decisions, stating, “We want to trust him, and I hope that he will change his decisions. Because I think that it’s all mistakes and it will not help us. And it will not help [the] US.”
On the same program, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that the United States provides Ukraine with assistance unavailable to Russia, citing intelligence-sharing and the resale of U.S. munitions to Ukraine by other countries. Nevertheless, when pressed on whether the United States considers Ukraine an official ally, Bessent avoided a direct response. He described Zelensky’s framing as a “false binary” focused solely on Ukraine winning the war and stressed that “the war must end, and that will be with some kind of a negotiated settlement.”
The exchange underscores the complexity of U.S. policy toward the conflict in Ukraine amid fluctuating diplomacy and strategic considerations as fighting continues in eastern Europe.