Washington has blocked Britain from sharing US military intelligence with Ukraine as US support for Zelensky wanes.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to stop aid to Ukraine could mean the country may run out of weapons in as little as two months time.
However, along with ammunition and missiles, UK intelligence agencies and military outlets were ordered to not share US-generated intelligence, known as “Rel UKR” - short for “Releasable to Ukraine.”
Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Britain along with other security partners including New Zealand and Australia have shared this knowledge with Ukraine.
Washington has prohibited Britain from sharing US military intelligence with Ukraine amid the withdrawal of support for Zelensky
REUTERSHowever, the top-level security classification was recently removed by the US - which could impact Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, the Daily Mail reports.
The ban affects the UK’s GCHQ, the sky agencies and intelligence branches of the MoD.
UK military intelligence expert Phil Ingram said: “The United States's instruction to stop allies sharing US-derived intelligence with Ukraine is what I would expect.
“The US's intelligence partners, including Britain, have had their authority to pass on intelligence revoked.”
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He added: “The US will tightly control distribution of its intelligence to Ukraine through agencies based in Kyiv.”
Critics have condemned Trump’s decision, arguing a long-term freeze would only lengthen the war.
It comes as Russia is expected to exploit Ukraine’s weak position and attempt to gain more territory.
“We have two to three months. After that, the position will be very difficult for us," a senior Ukrainian official told the Financial Times.
Critics have condemned Trump’s decision, arguing a long-term freeze would only lengthen the war
REUTERS“It will not be a total collapse, but we will be forced to withdraw from some areas more quickly.”
At the moment, Russia occupies one fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula and eastern provinces.
Ukraine is holding on to a small amount of territory it grabbed in 2024 in the southern Russian province of Kursk.
In the face of the US freezing aid, Europe could couple its support for Ukraine, using frozen Russian assets to pay for weapons.
However, the US supplies high-end equipment that other states do not have access to.
Since the start of the war, the US has provided £53 billion of military aid to Ukraine, compared to Europe's combined total of £51 billion.
A total of 20 per cent of military hardware in Ukraine comes from the US, and 25 per cent comes from Europe. Meanwhile, 55 per cent is funded and produced by Ukraine.
Nato allies have expressed disappointment with the decision to withdraw aid, with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen saying: “We need the Americans militarily.”
The Kremlin welcomed the move to freeze aid
Reuters“This definitely shouldn't be a moment where we give in. As on the battlefield, Russia has not really been advancing in recent months,” she added.
French prime minister François Bayrou said the move was akin to abandoning Ukraine: “The word 'suspension' fools no one.
“The suspension in war of assistance to an aggressed country signifies that the aggressed country is being abandoned and that one accepts — or hopes — that its aggressor wins. It is obviously unbearable.”
The Kremlin, however, welcomed the move, with Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov claiming that the suspension of supplies would be “the best contribution to the cause of peace”.
