The United States has not stopped sharing its intelligence with Ukraine, President Donald Trump said Tuesday after a news report claimed that the administration threatened to withhold intelligence from its European ally if Ukrainian strikes continued hitting Russian oil refineries.
“We help them, but we’re really helping them get to a final answer,” Trump told Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy. “We want the war ended. We are helping them, and we are sharing intel. We want the war to end, so we’re working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end.”
Doocy asked whether Washington stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv during the first press briefing held by White House press secretary Katie Zacharia, who said she would have to get back to him on that question. Zacharia was standing behind the president while he answered questions from reporters.
Earlier Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country did not receive an “early warning from our partners” regarding one of the latest Russian strikes that hit Kyiv overnight. He did not blame the U.S. or any other country for the intelligence oversight.
Apart from Trump, Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed Kyiv continues to receive U.S. intelligence data.
On Sunday, Trump announced Ukraine and Russia agreed to an energy ceasefire that prevents both nations from attacking each other’s energy facilities. Zelensky said Ukraine abided by the deal, but Russia did not. Russian forces continued striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to cut Ukrainians’ power, heat, and running water during wartime.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not directly commented on the energy ceasefire, which Trump announced in a Truth Social post. Instead, the Kremlin said contacts over the issue remain ongoing.
On Monday, Trump insisted the ceasefire was holding even though that does not appear to be the case.
“They agreed because I said they agree,” he said.
While answering Doocy’s questions on Tuesday, Trump addressed his recent comment that Putin “wants to make a deal more than Zelensky” to end the war. He clarified both leaders equally want a resolution but are incapable of getting there.
“They both want it to end, and they don’t know how to get to that point,” Trump said. “There’s a lot of hatred there between the two of them. They both want it to end. They don’t know how to get there. We’re going to get them there.”
In the past week, Trump criticized Ukraine for targeting Russian energy infrastructure and called for new leadership in Kyiv. Zelensky said he is open to holding an election in Ukraine as long as Russia agrees to a two-month ceasefire. The Kremlin rejected that proposal.
ZELENSKY LAMENTS LACK OF ‘EARLY WARNING FROM OUR PARTNERS’ ON RUSSIAN STRIKES AGAINST UKRAINE
Meanwhile, Trump called Putin last week to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, among other topics. After their conversation, Trump announced an agreement that allows Russia to supply the U.S. and global markets with up to 4.8 million metric tons of imported diesel.
The effort was meant to bring down surging oil prices ahead of next month’s midterm elections. More recently, Trump has blamed the Russia-Ukraine war for expensive oil rather than the Iran war.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
