Allies may stop sharing intelligence with US due to leaks to Moscow - NBC

According to the sources, the allies are considering this step because of concerns about protecting foreign agents whose identities could be inadvertently revealed.

Every intelligence agency treats its obligations to foreign agents as sacrosanct, promising to ensure the agents' safety and conceal their identities. Anything that jeopardizes that commitment undermines trust, former officials say, and could lead some spy services to refrain from sharing information with Washington.

The sources said that allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia and members of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence alliance, are exploring the possibility of revising current intelligence-sharing protocols to reflect the Trump administration's warming relations with Russia.

“Those discussions are already happening,” said a source with direct knowledge of the discussions. However, according to the sources, no decisions or actions have been taken.

According to the sources, the review is part of a broader examination of the range of relations with Washington among many US allies, including diplomacy, trade and military cooperation, as well as intelligence issues.

Historical implications

While the extent of the shift in US policy toward Russia remains unclear, allies are weighing the possible implications of what could be a historic shift, the Western official said.

Asked about the possibility of allies limiting their relations with the United States, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said that President Donald Trump sees clearly America's adversaries.

“The US has unrivaled intelligence capabilities which is exactly why intelligence sharing initiatives such as the Five Eyes exist,” said Press Secretary Brian Hughes in an email.

Administration officials and some Republican lawmakers have defended Trump's actions against Russia as a tactic to bring Moscow to the negotiating table and forge a peace deal that would end the destabilizing war in Europe. Distrust of Vladimir Putin, a KGB veteran, remains high among US allies.

Publicly, longtime US allies downplay the problem. The United Kingdom, the most important US intelligence partner, has stated that it has no plans to reduce intelligence cooperation with the United States.

“The US is the UK’s closest ally and we will continue to cooperate closely on defence, intelligence and security matters” a British government spokesperson said in an email. “Any suggestion otherwise is totally untrue.”

The Canadian Security and Intelligence Service said in a statement that it has strong relationships with numerous US agencies that are “long-standing and resilient.”

An Israeli official also praised its alliance with the United States, saying that “Cooperation between Israel and the United States on every level, including the sharing of crucial intelligence data, is as strong and solid as ever.”

However, some former US intelligence officials are concerned that the Trump administration may decide to reduce intelligence collection targeting Russia, as the US may no longer view Russia as a major threat.

Trump's decision this week to suspend intelligence assistance to Ukraine, as well as military aid, has increased concerns among allies. The intelligence cooperation with Kyiv, which has developed since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, has benefited both Washington and Kyiv, former officials say, as Ukraine has provided valuable information about Russia.

In deciding whether to reduce intelligence sharing, the Five Eyes allies - the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand - and other US partners will have to consider the risks to their own national security if they reduce cooperation with Washington.

Cybersecurity concerns

However, the Trump administration's recent moves in the area of cybersecurity have also heightened concerns about the administration's engagement with Moscow.

Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the US Cyber Command to cease offensive cyber and information operations against Russia. It is unclear how long the order will be in effect.

And in her speech to the UN Working Group on Cybersecurity last month, senior State Department official Liesyl Franz did not mention Russia as a major cyber threat, mentioning only China and Iran.

For many years, including during Trump's first term, Republican and Democratic administrations have cited Russia as one of the most complex and dangerous threats to American cybersecurity.

With Trump and his deputies echoing some of Russia's talking points about the war in Ukraine and signaling that they hope to expand US relations with Moscow, former intelligence officials say the administration may even share some sensitive information with Moscow.

Formidable alliance

The Five Eyes Alliance is arguably the most formidable spy alliance in the world. Intelligence cooperation among its members is deeply rooted, dating back to the 1940s, and officials credit it with helping to counter the Soviets during the Cold War and disrupt terrorist plots in recent decades.

According to a former intelligence official, the sharing of satellite imagery and intercept data among alliance members is extensive, highly integrated and “nearly automatic.”

Former officials have said that deploying the technical side of the alliance's cooperation will be complex and difficult. A more likely scenario would be that allied governments withhold some intelligence that could cause friction with the White House, several former intelligence officials said.

The United States has completely stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, as confirmed by the CIA director. The Ukrainian army used to receive up to 80% of its intelligence from its allies, and most of it came from the United States.