Trump Official Contradicts EU Over Putin Ukraine Goals

Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence has split with Europe and Nato by suggesting Vladimir Putin does not have the capability to conquer Ukraine.

The Russian president sent his troops into the neighbouring country in February 2022 in a clear land grab, even trying – and failing – to overrun its capital Kyiv.

He has falsely alleged Ukraine needed to be “de-Nazified” and claimed that Russia had been pushed to invade over fears of Nato’s eastward expansion.

Almost four years later, Putin now holds approximately a fifth of Ukraine’s sovereign land – and continues to push for more on the frontline.

Trump’s administration is currently trying to secure a peace deal to end the war by any means necessary, even if it involves rewarding Russia for its aggression by recognised its illegal occupation.

Meanwhile, European allies are desperately trying to negotiate a proposal which would retain Ukraine’s sovereignty and prevent Putin from pushing further into the continent – without causing upset with the White House by implementing further more delays to the peace process.

But Trump’s director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, alarmingly questioned long-standing fears that Moscow is threatening the whole of Europe.

In a post on X, she said: “Deep State warmongers and their Propaganda Media are again trying to undermine President Trump’s efforts to bring peace to Ukraine – and indeed Europe – by falsely claiming that the ‘US intelligence community’ agrees to and supports EU/NATO viewpoint that Russia’s aim is to invade/conquer Europe (in order to gin up support for their pro-war policies).

“The truth is that ‘US intelligence’ assesses that Russia does not even have the capability to conquer and occupy Ukraine, what to speak of ‘invading and occupying’ Europe.”

Her comments are in line with other Trump officials who have insisted Putin wants peace via diplomatic means.

However, news agency Reuters cited six sources close to US intelligence which said many analysts have warned the White House that Putin intends to capture all of Ukraine and reclaim other territories formerly held by the Soviet Union.

A member of the House Intelligence Committee, Democratic representative Mike Quigley, said: “The intelligence has always been that Putin wants more. The Europeans are convinced of it. The Poles are absolutely convinced of it. The Baltics think they’re first.”

European leaders have repeatedly warned that Putin has more expansionist ambitions.

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said this week that Ukraine needs more funds from Europe because the continent will pay in “money today, blood tomorrow”.

British military chiefs have also warned about the acute threat from an “aggressive, expansionist and revisionist” Russia to the whole continent.