The US authorities have banned the UK from sharing American intelligence data with Ukraine, reported the publication Daily Mail. All British intelligence services and military units have received an order explicitly prohibiting them from sharing intelligence obtained from the US, which was previously known as Rel UKR — «Releasable to Ukraine».
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and other Western security partners have been sharing such data with Ukraine.
UK military intelligence expert Phil Ingram stated that the US directive to prohibit allies from sharing intelligence data obtained from the US with Ukraine is a quite expected measure. He also noted that the US will strictly control the dissemination of its intelligence data in Ukraine through agencies based in Kyiv.
Critics of Trump believe that any long-term freeze is more likely to prolong rather than shorten the war, as it will push the Kremlin to take advantage of Kyiv's depleting stocks of weapons and ammunition and attempt to seize new territories.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou stated that freezing aid is akin to abandoning Ukraine in favor of Russia's victory. «The word «suspension» deceives no one. Suspension of aid during a war to a country under aggression means that this country is abandoned and that one has resigned — or hopes — for the aggressor's victory. Obviously, this is unbearable», — said Bayrou.
The pause extends to all US military equipment currently not in Ukraine, including weapons en route and on bases in Poland. It will affect more than 790 million pounds in weapons and ammunition, such as missiles, anti-tank weapons, and armored vehicles.
Artillery, missile systems with GPS-guidance, and Patriot air defense systems provided by the US are considered essential if Ukraine wants to avoid defeat. Additionally, even some complex British weapons systems, including Storm Shadow cruise missiles, rely on the US to hit the right targets.