Several U.S. national security agencies have halted work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation, thus easing pressure on Moscow, NAN reports.
This comes as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump pushes Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden had last year ordered his national security team to establish working groups to monitor the issue amid warnings from the country’s intelligence agencies that Russia was escalating a shadow war against Western nations.
A shadow war is a form of armed conflict conducted secretly in the nexus between war and peace, where different actors use various means to achieve their goals.
Seven former officials who participated in the working groups told Reuters that the plan was led by the president’s National Security Council (NSC) and involved at least seven national security agencies working with European allies to disrupt plots targeting Europe and the United States.
Former U.S. officials said that before President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2025, his incoming administration was briefed by Biden officials about the efforts and urged to continue monitoring Russia’s hybrid warfare campaign.
However, since Trump took office, much of the work has come to a standstill, according to eleven current and former officials, all of whom requested anonymity to discuss classified matters.
Some officials involved in the working groups said they are concerned that the Trump administration is deprioritizing the issue despite intelligence warnings.