NBC: US allies, including UK and Canada, scrutinising intel sharing amid Trump's pro-Russia policy

Certain US allies are considering diminishing the intelligence they share with Washington in response to the Trump administration’s conciliatory approach to Russia, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

They told NBC News that the allies are weighing the move because of concerns about safeguarding foreign assets whose identities could inadvertently be revealed, said the sources, who included a foreign official, per Caliber.Az.

The allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia and members of the so-called Five Eyes spy alliance of English-speaking democracies, are examining how to possibly revise current protocols for sharing intelligence to take the Trump administration’s warming relations with Russia into account, the sources said

“Those discussions are already happening,” said a source with direct knowledge of the discussions.

No decision or action has been taken, however, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, the most important U.S. intelligence partner, said it had no plans to reduce intelligence cooperation with the United States.

“The U.S. is the UK’s closest ally and we will continue to cooperate closely on defence, intelligence and security matters,” a British government spokesperson said in an email. “Any suggestion otherwise is totally untrue.”

Despite previous reports that some US allies are considering reducing the amount of intelligence information they share with Washington, the Canada Security Intelligence Service said that it has strong relationships with numerous U.S. agencies that are “long-standing and resilient.”

It added, “Canada deeply values its partnership with the United States, and we believe that it is in the strategic interest of both countries to continue our strong national security cooperation.”

However, some former U.S. intelligence officers say they are concerned that the Trump administration may opt to scale back intelligence collection aimed at Russia, as the U.S. may no longer see Russia as a top threat. “People are very worried,” a former intelligence official said.

The administration, for example, has indicated it may place a higher priority on efforts to counter drug cartels from Mexico and other countries in the region. Already, the Defense Department has deployed more resources to the southern border, including a team of analysts. And the CIA has launched drone surveillance flights over Mexico as part of that effort. 

With Trump and his deputies echoing some of Russia’s talking points about the Ukraine war and indicating they hope to expand U.S. relations with Moscow, former intelligence officials say the administration may even share some sensitive information with Moscow.

Notably, the US has recently ceased sharing intelligence with Ukraine concerning Russian military activities amidst the ongoing conflict following Trump's decision to suspend military aid to Kyiv. This cessation affects Ukraine's ability to conduct long-range drone strikes and monitor Russian military movements. White House officials suggest that resuming intelligence sharing is contingent upon progress in Trump-proposed peace talks.

By Khagan Isayev