The Hill: US congressmen want an intelligence report on the consequences of withdrawing support for Ukraine
12 December 2024 11:35
U.S. lawmakers would like U.S. intelligence to assess the likely course of the war in Ukraine and the impact of Ukraine’s potential defeat on U.S. national security interests. This was reported by The Hill, according to
The publication reminds that such an initiative appeared against the backdrop of a statement by US President-elect Donald Trump, who suggested that Ukraine should “probably” prepare to reduce military aid from the United States when he takes office.
The lawmakers instruct the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Director of the Main Intelligence Directorate to submit a report assessing the course of Ukraine’s defense war against Russia.
According to the legislators, the report should include an assessment of the ability of the Ukrainian military to defend itself against Russian aggression if the United States continues or stops military and economic support, and if the United States maintains or withdraws authorization for the use of long-range missiles provided to Ukraine to strike deep into Russia.
In addition, the lawmakers want the intelligence chiefs to assess the implications of a potential defeat of Ukraine by Russia for U.S. national security interests, including potential further aggression by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
The report is to be submitted in unclassified form, but may have a classified appendix, and sent to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, as well as the Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees.
Lawmakers are calling for the report to be submitted within 90 days of the signing of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2025.
This particular deadline for submitting the report, as the publication states, is not very clear. It is not clear how the conclusions of the intelligence chiefs still working under the current Biden administration will be taken into account in the report that will be submitted by Trump’s current nominees for senior intelligence positions.
In this regard, The Hill mentions Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who is facing problems with her confirmation due to her statements that were perceived as a repetition of the Russian state media’s theses.
Gabbard’s meeting in 2017 with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was supported by Russia after he was accused of killing thousands of his country’s citizens, also came under scrutiny.
As reported by
