U.S. lawmakers requested a trio of intelligence agencies to assess the risks of ending support for Ukraine and Russia winning the war, The Hill reported on Dec. 11.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump hinted at reducing aid to Ukraine once he enters office in January 2025. This puts further pressure on Ukraine, which is increasingly on the back foot on the battleground, facing the full-scale Russian invasion for almost three years.
Lawmakers from both chambers of the U.S. legislature requested the director of national intelligence, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to compile a report on different policy impacts on Ukraine and U.S. security, according to the report.
The scrutinized scenarios would include ending or continuing military and economic aid to Ukraine, a Russian victory on the battlefield, and keeping or revoking permission to fire long-range missiles into Russia’s territory.
Lawmakers also want to know how would Ukraine’s defeat on the battlefield embolden other actors like China, Iran, or North Korea.
Their request comes on the back of the House of Representatives, the legislation’s lower chamber, passing the next year's defense budget. The Senate is to vote on the bill next week.
The report will be compiled during a transition period between outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and incoming Donald Trump’s administration.
Trump has nominated John Ratcliffe, who served as the director of national intelligence during Trump's first presidency, to lead the CIA.
The president-elect's pick for the new director of national intelligence — former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard — caused concern due to Gabbard's favorable views toward authoritarian regimes and U.S. rivals, such as Russia.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
