The US State Department’s domestic intelligence service expressed doubts in early 2025 about the readiness of Russian leader Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, while the Central Intelligence Agency had a more positive assessment.
According to the WSJ, at the beginning of Donald Trump’s administration, American officials repeatedly asked intelligence analysts for data on the situation in Ukraine to determine Putin’s goals and assess his willingness to negotiate an end to the war.
CIA analysts have concluded that Trump may find opportunities for negotiations with Putin, the publication’s sources added.
Instead, analysts from the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) referred to Putin’s own statements, in which he emphasized the priority of “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine.
The State Department concluded that the Kremlin’s master would ultimately not be willing to give up his maximalist demands. These assessments were prepared even before the meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska, the publication says.
According to The Wall Street Journal, INR management then told analysts that their excellent rating was damaging the Bureau’s credibility among government officials. Several analysts were subsequently fired and one resigned.
Trump recently changed his mind about meeting Putin in Budapest – a meeting he announced after his last phone call with him – and admitted that he was disappointed with the pace of negotiations with Russia.
The US President has said that he will not meet with the Kremlin ruler until an agreement is reached to ensure peace between Russia and Ukraine.