US halts efforts to counter Russian hybrid warfare amid shift in policy

Several US national security agencies have suspended coordinated efforts to counter Russia's sabotage, disinformation, and cyberattacks, easing pressure on Moscow as the Trump Administration seeks to end the war in Ukraine.

The move comes after former President Joe Biden ordered the establishment of working groups last year to monitor Russia's escalating "shadow war" against Western nations, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

According to seven former officials who participated in the efforts, these groups were originally led by the president's National Security Council (NSC), involving at least seven national security agencies working alongside European allies to disrupt Russian plots targeting Europe and the US.

However, since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, much of the initiative has stalled. Eleven current and former officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed that regular meetings between the NSC and European counterparts have ceased, and coordination between US agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and State Department, has stopped.

Sources also indicated that the White House has not provided clarity on whether the efforts will be revived. Some officials expressed concern that the Trump administration is deprioritizing the issue despite continued intelligence warnings. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have also scaled back efforts to combat foreign interference, including disbanding teams that targeted Russian oligarchs and interference in US elections.

A spokesperson for the National Security Council, Brian Hughes, stated, "President Trump has made it abundantly clear that any attack on the US will be met with a disproportionate response." Despite the pause in cross-agency coordination, US officials continue to work with NATO allies on countering hybrid threats, according to a senior official at NATO.

The suspension of these efforts comes amid a broader shift in US policy toward Europe and Ukraine. Trump’s recent actions, including a proposal for Russia and Ukraine to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, have raised concerns about a potential truce favorable to Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Western accusations of Russian sabotage, calling them "empty and ephemeral."

By Vafa Guliyeva