Trump’s shift toward Russia fuels doubts about NATO intelligence cooperation POLITICO warns

Intelligence-sharing within NATO has entered uncertain territory, with Donald Trump’s policies creating rifts in trust and cooperation among the alliance's member states.

As a recent article by POLITICO notes, tensions had already been brewing due to Hungary and Slovakia’s pro-Russian positions, per Caliber.Az.

Yet, the situation has become even more precarious following the US's recent shift towards Russia, sparking serious concerns about the safety of sharing sensitive intelligence with Washington.

The situation worsened after reports emerged that the US had temporarily suspended intelligence transfers to Ukraine. This move, seen as an attempt to pressure Kyiv into negotiations with Russia, sent shockwaves through NATO, with former US Ambassador to NATO Julie Smith warning of a potential collapse in intelligence collaboration within the alliance.

Daniel Stanton, a former Canadian intelligence officer, highlighted the paradox NATO faces: the need for intelligence is greater than ever, yet member states are increasingly reluctant to share it. The alliance’s lack of consensus on identifying a common enemy has led to diminished trust among allies.

Adding fuel to the fire, Trump’s choice for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has caused further unease. Analyst Gustav Gressel, from the National Defense Academy Vienna, noted Gabbard’s alignment with Russian talking points regarding the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, along with her meeting with former Syrian President Bashar Assad, who remains a pariah due to his brutal tactics during the civil war.

A current NATO official, reflecting on the controversial White House meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump, stated, "Naturally, there were a lot of questions afterwards." However, the official added that staff remained composed, continuing their work.

A former NATO official revealed that much of the intelligence sharing had shifted to bilateral agreements rather than multilateral forums. "That was always the case when the going got tough," they remarked.

Despite the recent upheavals, some officials have downplayed the impact on intelligence-sharing practices within the alliance. One NATO official asserted, "Despite the erosion of trust due to US policy on Ukraine, we still believe Trump has no serious issues with the Alliance itself, aside from funding concerns."

Reflecting on past challenges, Richard Dearlove, former chief of Britain’s MI6, revealed in an interview that during his tenure, he was highly selective about sharing sensitive intelligence with Germany’s BND due to concerns it could leak to Russia. He explained, “There were certain highly sensitive things we wouldn’t have shared in a month of Sundays.”

NATO officials acknowledged that, throughout history, certain member states have been considered less reliable for intelligence sharing — such as Greece under its military junta from 1967 to 1974 — but, notably, the United States was never among those suspected of leaking critical information.

By Tamilla Hasanova