The CIA has intensified its intelligence operations against Russia and continues to provide decisive support to Ukraine, while Donald Trump pressures Volodimir Zelenski to cease attacks on Russian refineries, highlighting an increasingly pronounced contradiction between the activities of U.S. intelligence services and decisions made by the White House.
A report published on Friday, October 23, by The Atlantic, written by journalist Shane Harris, describes how the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, leads an agency that helps undermine Moscow's military and economic capabilities, while Trump seeks agreements with Vladimir Putin and accuses Zelenski of prolonging the war.
According to the research, U.S. intelligence continues to provide Ukraine with information used to carry out deep strikes against Russian territory. Their satellites also enable early detection of missile and drone launches, a critical capability for the defense of Ukrainian cities.
An former high-ranking intelligence official who frequently travels to Ukraine assured Harris that, among the U.S. personnel deployed on the ground, “the CIA is taking the lead.”
An intelligence official from a Baltic country, who closely cooperates with Washington to counter Russian influence, stated that the agency's operations are currently "much more aggressive" than during the administration of Joe Biden.
The paradox is that this intensification coincides with a presidential policy that seeks to limit precisely some of the most effective Ukrainian operations against Russia.
The CIA is helping to weaken the Russian economy while Trump demands an end to the attacks
The Ukrainian bombings against refineries and other Russian oil facilities have become one of the most effective instruments of economic pressure on the Kremlin.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), during the first eight months of 2026, Russian refineries averaged one attack every three days.
The campaign has reduced refining capacity, caused fuel shortages, and forced Moscow to restrict exports to ensure domestic supply. Russian diesel production has fallen by nearly 30% compared to previous levels.
For Kiev, striking at Russian energy infrastructure means reducing the revenues and supplies that contribute to sustaining Putin's military machinery.
For Trump, however, these attacks have turned into a political and economic issue.
The U.S. president attributes part of the international rise in fuel prices to the damage caused by Ukraine, although the war with Iran and traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have also severely impacted the global energy market.
According to Axios, Trump had repeatedly asked Zelensky to suspend the attacks on Russian refineries. In response to Kiev's refusal to unilaterally halt them, according to Ukrainian officials cited by I, the U.S. administration threatened to restrict intelligence sharing and the procurement of American weapons financed by European allies.
Zelenski later confirmed that his generals had received warnings about a potential disruption of intelligence cooperation.
Washington threatens to withdraw a key tool for Ukraine’s defense and military operations, while the CIA continues to provide information that helps counter the Russian offensive.
Trump offers Putin an oil deal while his spies undermine his strategy
The contradiction intensified on October 9, when Trump announced an agreement with Putin to facilitate the supply of millions of tons of Russian diesel to international and U.S. markets.
The Treasury Department accompanied the announcement with an authorization that eased certain sanctions on operations involving that fuel.
The decision surprised the Ukrainian and European negotiators participating in peace talks with American representatives in Miami, according to sources consulted by The Atlantic.
Some of Trump's advisors had recommended to avoid making new concessions to Putin without obtaining concrete commitments to stop the war. However, Moscow did not offer any equivalent quid pro quo.
The U.S. intelligence community has maintained a different assessment for years, one that seems to guide some of the president's movements: Putin continues the war because he believes he can win it, either through a military victory or by exhausting the West's willingness to support Ukraine.
According to Harris, this conviction also explains the intensification of Russian hybrid operations against Europe, which include sabotage, interference in communications, and provocations with drones against NATO defenses.
Meanwhile, Trump has intensified his personal criticisms of Zelenski.
In recent statements to Newsmax, he described him as a "more difficult leader to deal with" than Putin, accused him of prolonging the conflict, and urged Ukrainians to elect a new president.
Ratcliffe traveled secretly to Moscow to deliver a message to the Russian services
The director of the CIA holds a unique position within that contradictory policy.
According to The Atlantic, Ratcliffe is one of Trump's closest advisors and regularly participates in national security decisions. At the same time, American and European officials consider him aware of the threat that Russia poses to Ukraine and its allies.
In August, Ratcliffe made a secret trip to Moscow, where he met with leaders of the Russian intelligence services.
The objective, according to sources familiar with the meeting, was to convey the U.S. assessment of the evolution of the war: Russia had not achieved decisive advancements, but Ukraine had also not succeeded in driving the invading forces out of its territory.
The visit took place through a discreet communication channel between intelligence services, informally known as the channel, which allows Washington and Moscow to exchange messages outside of conventional diplomatic negotiations.
Ratcliffe did not meet with Putin, but his Russian counterparts were to convey the content of the discussions to their superiors.
The aim was for the Kremlin to receive a direct assessment of the stalemate in the conflict, without relying solely on the reports that the Russian president's inner circle could provide.
In September, Ratcliffe informed Zelenski about his trip to Moscow during a meeting in Ireland, when their respective airplanes coincided at a stop for refueling.
A senior Ukrainian intelligence official quoted by Harris praised the professionalism of the American agents deployed in his country and expressed confidence in Ratcliffe's ability to convey a realistic assessment of the war to Trump.
The Ratcliffe Limit: Trump has the final say
The position of the CIA director does not imply that he is willing to confront the president.
The officials consulted by The Atlantic believe that Ratcliffe sees his role as providing information and assessing the consequences of decisions, not determining foreign policy.
If Trump were to order the suspension of intelligence cooperation with Ukraine, the director would comply with the directive, even if there were reservations within the agency about its consequences.
The threat is not abstract.
In October, during new Russian attacks on Kiev, Ukrainian authorities reported interruptions in the early warning systems that hindered the detection of some missiles.
Sources consulted by Harris indicated that some of these problems may have been due to technical failures, although there were also suspicions about possible restrictions on U.S. assistance.
Trump later stated that Washington continued to share intelligence with Ukraine. A general suspension of that cooperation has not been confirmed.
The episode illustrates Ukraine's dependence on American capabilities that the president can restrict by political decision.
Ratcliffe's CIA continues to help Ukraine resist and strike Russian targets, while Trump tries to halt those attacks, relaxes energy sanctions on Moscow, and pressures Zelenski to accept his negotiation terms.
For now, both lines of action coexist within the same administration.
The continuity of the first depends on a president whose recent decisions have favored an economic rapprochement with Putin, precisely at a time when U.S. intelligence services believe that Russia continues to push to prolong the war to exhaust Ukraine and its allies.
Related videos:
Filed under: