Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to cease offensive operations, according to secret instructions from current officials and two former officials. The move is clearly part of a part of the effort to attract Russian President Vladimir V.
Mr. Heggs’ instructions are part of a larger reassessment of all actions against Russia and have not been explained publicly. But they were sent on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the face of a public explosion in the Oval Office.
The exact scope and duration of the Department of Defense order is unclear, as the line between offensive and defensive cyber operations is often blurred.
Nevertheless, retaining access to the main Russian network used for espionage is crucial to understanding Mr. Putin’s intentions when he participated in the negotiations and the arguments within Russia regarding what conditions to adhere to and what conditions to abandon.
Former officials said civilian leaders often order moratoriums during sensitive diplomatic negotiations to avoid derailing them. Nevertheless, the offensive cyber retreat against Russian targets was a huge gamble for President Trump and Mr. Heggs.
Essentially, it is the common man who can give up what many call the “shadow war” with the allies of the United States and its traditional allies in Europe. Europe’s leading powers continue to say their support for Ukraine has not diminished, sometimes with Mr. Putin, despite Mr. Trump’s attempt to portray himself as a neutral arbiter trying to end the Ukrainian war.
U.S. officials said Russia continues to try to penetrate U.S. networks, including the first weeks of the Trump administration. But this is only part of the Russian campaign.
Over the past year, ransomware attacks on U.S. hospitals, infrastructure and cities have increased, with many radiating intelligence from Russia, saying mainly criminal acts approved or ignored by Russian intelligence agencies.
Destructive efforts in Europe – including Russian tailoring communication cables, mysterious explosions and Russian-guided attempts to assassinate plots, including the CEO of Germany’s largest weapons manufacturer, have accelerated over the past year. Until now, the United States has been helping European countries fight back at the heart of their fight back often on secret networks, but this cooperation may be at risk now.
Many of these operations come from the UK Government Communications Headquarters – the legendary intelligence agency that broke the mystery in World War II and Canada to some extent. They may continue the work, while the United States focuses on China, its most complex rival in cyberspace.
Russia also held a positive influence campaign during the last presidential election, according to reports from U.S. intelligence agencies during the Biden administration. In the recent election cycle, the U.S. Cyber Command has conducted covert operations to hinder or reduce these influences.
But the Trump administration has begun demolishing efforts to warn Russian propaganda that the Pentagon’s orders will cease, at least for now, any further cyber orders will end.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday described the urgency of bringing Russia to the Ukrainian negotiating table, even if it was unclear if Putin was ready to reach a deal.
“If you are calling them, if you call them by their names, you won’t bring them to the table,” Mr. Rubio said in ABC’s “This Week.” “It’s just the instinct of the president for the year and years of people who do business.”
Mr. Rubio was not asked about the decision to stop offensive cyber operations, but when the United States released such pressure from Moscow that it was to the point where language was removed from the UN resolution, his defense became more defensive, describing Russia as an invader of the Ukrainian war. Almost all traditional allies in the United States voted against the resolution, bringing the Trump administration to Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, and a few other authoritarian countries.
“If this is a Democrat who is doing this, then everyone will say, OK, he is winning the Nobel Peace Prize,” Rubio said. “It’s ridiculous. We’re trying to end the war. Unless both sides start with the Russians, you won’t be able to end the war, and that’s the point that the president has put forward. We have to do everything we can to bring them to the table to see if it’s possible.”
Mr Hegseth’s order was first reported by Record, a future cybersecurity publication that tracks cyber capabilities. The Pentagon and U.S. Cyber Command declined to comment on the record, but a senior defense official refused to use her name, saying Mr. Heggs “is not as secure as military members, including cyber enterprises.
As the Trump administration prepares to take office, Biden administration officials urged Mr. Trump’s appointment to put pressure on Russia, including continuing to arm Ukraine and postponing it to the GRU and SVR, two Russian intelligence agencies, some of the most aggressive Russian cyberattacks and Espionage operations.
They specifically briefed Trump officials on Russia’s efforts to cut communication cables and the U.S. efforts to send a message to Putin last year, if explosives are placed on cargo planes, the consequences of the consequences of the consequences. The U.S. intelligence agency concluded that Russia’s ultimate goal is to deliver the packages to the United States.
During Mr. Trump’s first term, the United States’ online businesses targeting Russia grew larger and larger. National Security Agency creates a “small Russian group” after Russian intervention in the 2017 election
During his first term, Mr. Trump gave the new authorities of the Cyber Command to conduct direct presidential approval for offensive cyber operations in a confidential document called the National Security Presidential Memorandum.
One of these actions is a strengthening effort to investigate Russia’s power grid, an effort first disclosed by The New York Times, perhaps a warning to Russia not to interfere with critical U.S. infrastructure. Mr. Trump condemned the report of “virtual treason”, but his former aide later said he was worried that the revelation would affect his relationship with Putin.
