Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to stop offensive cyberoperations against Russia, according to one current official and two former officials briefed on the matter who spoke to The New York Times.
The order was handed down before Friday’s Oval Office blowup between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The measure appears to be an attempt to encourage Russia to join talks to end its war of aggression in Ukraine. The scope and duration of the order remain unclear as the difference between offensive and defensive cyberoperations is not always apparent.
But it remains important to retain access to Russian networks to understand Putin’s intentions when talks begin, and to follow the arguments between Russians regarding what issues to focus on and what could be given up to achieve a peace deal.
The ex-officials told the paper that it’s common that civilian leaders order temporary holds on military operations during negotiations to avoid them being derailed. But stepping back from offensive cyberoperations remains a risk, as it counts on Russian President Vladimir Putin to also put a hold on what some call the “shadow war” against the U.S. and its traditional European allies.
Hegseth’s order was initially reported by the cybersecurity publication The Record.
Those traditional allies have said that their backing of Kyiv remains steadfast amid Trump at times openly supporting Putin’s version of events. Russia has carried on attempting to get into U.S. networks, including during the start of the Trump administration, U.S. officials have said, according to The Times.
However, such efforts are only part of a wider Russian effort to destabilize the West. Ransomware attacks against U.S. hospitals, cities, and infrastructure have increased over the past year. Intelligence officials have said that such attacks have come from Russia in what are essentially criminal acts ignored or supported by Russian intelligence agencies.
Sabotage in Europe has also spiked in the last year to include the cutting of communications cables, mystifying explosions, and assassination plots emanating from Russia, such as against the chief executive of the largest arms maker in Germany. The U.S. has played a massive part in fighting back against these sabotage efforts, but that support could now end.
Many of such efforts are operated from the British Government Communications Headquarters as well as by the Canadians. The U.K. intelligence agency is best known for breaking the Enigma codes during the Second World War. They may carry those efforts while the U.S. pivots to focus on China.
Russia operated an influence campaign during the 2024 presidential campaign, reports by U.S. intelligence agencies during the Biden administration reveal. U.S. Cyber Command has conducted secret operations to take on those attempts in recent election cycles, The Times noted.
However, the Trump administration has begun picking apart efforts by the F.B.I. and other agencies warning about the dangers of Russian propaganda and meddling. The Pentagon order issued by Hegseth would put a pause on any future attempts to hamper Russian influence campaigns.
Appearing on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the need to get Russia to the negotiating table, but he also acknowledged that it remains unclear if Putin is ready or willing to enter into an agreement to end the war.
“You’re not going to bring them to the table if you’re calling them names, if you’re being antagonistic,” he told the network. “That’s just the president’s instincts from years and years and years of putting together deals as someone who’s in business.”
Rubio became defensive when asked why the U.S. was easing the pressure on Russia, such as by removing language from a U.N. resolution which stated that Russia is the aggressor in the war in Ukraine. The Trump administration went against America’s traditional allies, and sided with the likes of Belarus, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, as well as other states with authoritarian regimes.
“If this was a Democrat that was doing this, everyone would be saying, well, he’s on his way to the Nobel Peace Prize,” Rubio, known as a Russia hawk during his time in the Senate, told ABC. “This is absurd. We are trying to end a war. You cannot end a war unless both sides come to the table, starting with the Russians, and that is the point the president has made. And we have to do whatever we can to try to bring them to the table to see if it’s even possible.”
