The Trump administration has halted U.S. cyber operations targeting Russia as diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine continue, an official statement confirms and is reported by BBC.
The directive, issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, affects operations led by U.S. Cyber Command, having an impact on efforts to counter Russian hacking and election interference. The Department of Defense declined to comment directly, citing operational concerns, but pointed out that “there is no greater priority to Secretary Hegseth than the safety of the Warfighter in all operations, to include the cyber domain.”
Trump’s approach to Moscow has eased since returning to office, with the president reiterating Russian justifications for the war and even planning a meeting with Vladimir Putin. Trump has gone as far as calling Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, a ‘dictator’ and accused him of ‘gambling with World War Three’ in a heated Oval Office discussion last week.
Critics, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, warn that Trump is giving Putin “a free pass as Russia continues to launch cyber operations and ransomware attacks against critical American infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz denied a formal policy change in relation to Moscow but admitted the administration is using ‘all kinds of carrots and sticks to get this war to an end.’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the change, stating, “You’re not going to bring [the Russians] to the table if you’re calling them names, if you’re being antagonistic.”
