**US Intelligence Cut-Off Leaves Ukraine in the Dark**
For nearly a week, Ukraine’s military and civilians suffered as the US cut off vital intelligence. This exposed the deep consequences of broken trust and the uncertainty of relying on unpredictable allies.
Ukraine was left in the dark by its once-close ally, deprived of American intelligence as Russia advanced. Civilians suffered missile and drone attacks, while the military faced Russian offensives. All of this was aimed at forcing Ukraine into a “peace” agreement.
**A Week Without Intelligence**
Ukrainian soldier Maksym said, “I don‘t know what will happen next.” He works with intelligence and was worried about Russia’s advances.
During the week-long pause in US intelligence sharing, Ukraine’s position weakened as Russian forces captured more territory and launched terror attacks on civilians. On March 8, for example, Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Odesa, hitting the port and civilian targets.
**Resumption of Intelligence Sharing**
After a weeklong pause, U.S. intelligence sharing resumed during talks between the U.S. and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on March 11. This demonstrated that the US was willing to cut its partner off from vital intelligence, even as Ukraine faced escalating threats.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the resumption of intelligence sharing, but someone should remind him that it was his administration’s actions that put people’s lives in danger due to a political dispute.
**Consequences of Broken Trust**
Trust is hard to build and easy to lose. Ukraine will never fully trust the Trump administration again, and every day will bring new worries about whether another slip of the tongue could lead to another suspension of support.
This isn’t “deal-making” as the Trump White House might frame it. It’s hostage-taking, preventing long-time allies from defending themselves against a deadly foe.
**Impact on Ukraine**
The lack of intelligence sharing brought many problems for Ukrainian forces. They had to rely on their own drones and other means of gathering information, which was not comprehensive like US intelligence.
Ukraine’s military personnel loaded drones with food and ammunition to be delivered to the front line in Kharkiv Oblast on March 7, 2025.
**Learning from Mistakes**
Before the war, Maksym worked in IT. When Russia invaded Ukraine, he joined the territorial defense and eventually worked in intelligence. He now focuses on developing independent solutions for Ukraine’s survival.
Maksym said, “Ukraine has learned a vital lesson: it can’t rely solely on others for its survival.”