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UKRAINE’S frontline in Kursk has “collapsed” after Donald Trump cut arms and intelligence, including support to Kyiv’s F16 jets.
Ukraine still controls a toehold in Russia which it hopes to use as a bargaining chip in peace talks in Saudi Arabia.
EPA
Reuters
But Moscow ramped up a major offensive after the White House left Ukraine “blind” without vital battlefield intelligence.
Specialist Russian drone teams hammered Ukraine’s supply lines and cut bridges into the occupied territory.
Open source maps show territory controlled by Ukraine has shrunk to roughly a third of what they seized in August.
The US based Institute for the Study for War said Trump’s decision cut intelligence and the “collapse of the Ukrainian Kursk salient” were linked.
Ukraine’s troops have advanced elsewhere, reversing Russian gains near Pokrovsk and Toretsk in Donetsk province, Britain said on Monday.
The US u-turn on military aid includes “vital support” to radar jammers on F-16 jets from Denmark and the Netherlands, Forbes magazine revealed.
Russia’s MoD said it had captured four hamlets in Kursk on Sunday.
And they send Special Forces down a gas pipeline to try and retake Sudzha, the main Russian town under Ukrainian control.
It comes as the geopolitical landscape surrounding the Ukraine-Russia war is witnessing significant shifts.
President Donald Trump overnight announced that the United States is on the verge of lifting the suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Getty
AFPThe US President revealed on Sunday that the US has “just about” restored intelligence sharing with Ukraine, following a recent halt.
Last week, the CIA confirmed the suspension of both intelligence sharing and arms shipments after an Oval Office clash between Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
When asked if the halt would be lifted, Trump confirmed: “We just about have.”
The move followed reports that Washington had also banned Britain from passing on American intelligence to Kyiv, revoking the Rel UKR classification that previously allowed UK agencies to share US-generated intel with Ukraine.
The ban applied to GCHQ, the Ministry of Defence’s intelligence branches, and other UK security agencies, potentially impacting Ukraine’s battlefield strategies against Russian forces.
Trump also said “ungrateful” Zelensky took US cash like “candy from a baby” for war-torn Ukraine as he explains the reasons behind the infamous White House row.
Trump has labelled Zelensky as ungrateful, just over a week after the pair’s extraordinary Oval Office bust up, and blamed the Biden administration for giving Ukraine billions in military aid.
He also said that there are chances Ukraine “may not survive” if a peace deal is not reached soon.
In an interview with Fox News‘ Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures, he said: “It was like taking candy from a baby what he did.
Reuters
EPA“He’s a smart guy, and he’s a tough guy, and he took money out of this country under Biden like candy from a baby – it was so easy with that same attitude.
“I just don’t think he’s grateful. We gave him $350 billion.”
Zelensky since has touched down in Saudi Arabia for crunch talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Kyiv scrambles for a breakthrough in the war.
The high-stakes meeting in Jeddah will focus on potential resolutions to Putin’s brutal invasion — but neither Zelensky nor Trump are expected to attend the talks.
US officials – attempting to play peacemaker between Ukraine and Russia – are expected to use the discussions to gauge whether Kyiv is willing to make concessions to Moscow.
Meanwhile, Britain is reportedly advising Ukrainian officials on handling the sensitive negotiations, with UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell briefing Zelensky before the crucial talks.
English (US)