Several U.S. national security agencies have scaled back efforts to combat Russian sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation, effectively reducing pressure on Moscow as President Donald Trump pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine.
In 2023, former President Joe Biden directed his security team to form working groups aimed at tracking and countering Russia’s escalating covert operations against Western nations. The initiative, overseen by the National Security Council (NSC), brought together at least seven national security agencies in collaboration with European allies to disrupt Russian threats.
However, since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, much of this effort has ground to a halt, according to eleven current and former officials who spoke to Reuters.
National Security Coordination Stalls
Biden’s outgoing team briefed Trump’s incoming administration on the importance of continuing the initiative, but since the transition, key meetings have gone unplanned, inter-agency coordination has lapsed, and several agencies have paused their counter-Russia operations.
While it remains unclear whether Trump has officially ordered a halt, multiple agencies—including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department—have stopped collaborating as they once did under Biden’s leadership.
Some officials involved in the effort fear the Trump administration is deprioritizing the issue despite continued warnings from intelligence agencies about Russia’s ongoing hybrid warfare tactics.
Asked about the shift in strategy, White House officials deferred to the NSC. NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes defended the administration’s stance, stating:
"President Trump has made it abundantly clear that any attack on the U.S. will be met with a disproportionate response."
A senior U.S. official at NATO acknowledged that coordination with allies was ongoing but declined to provide details. The CIA, FBI, and State Department all refused to comment.
A New Direction for U.S.-Europe Relations
The decision to ease anti-sabotage efforts comes as Trump reshapes U.S. policy on Europe and Ukraine, sparking fears that Kyiv may be pressured into accepting a truce beneficial to Russia.
Trump’s recent statements and policy decisions have raised concerns among both Democrats and some Republicans, with critics warning that reducing efforts to counter Russia’s hybrid war tactics could leave the U.S. vulnerable.
Kori Schake, a defense policy expert at the American Enterprise Institute, warned:
"We’re choosing to blind ourselves to potential acts of war against us.
Russia’s Expanding Sabotage Tactics
Over the past three years, Russia has increased its use of criminal networks in Europe to carry out sabotage operations, including arson, bombings, and assassination attempts, according to Western intelligence officials.
While these attacks reportedly declined toward the end of 2024, experts believe Moscow is still using cyber warfare and influence campaigns to weaken Western support for Ukraine.
Russia Reacts to U.S. Policy Shift
When asked about Washington’s reduced focus on tracking Russian sabotage, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Trump administration was simply eliminating "ineffective, corrupt, and implausible" efforts.
He dismissed Western accusations of Russian sabotage in the U.S. and Europe as "empty and unproven."
Meanwhile, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have continued to engage in direct discussions. Most recently, Moscow agreed to a Trump-brokered deal for a 30-day ceasefire on attacks against energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
With the U.S. pivoting its stance on Russia, intelligence experts remain concerned about the long-term security risks posed by a weakened response to Moscow’s covert operations.