Cyber Command Ordered To Cease Hacking Russia
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has paused the US cyber offensive operations against Russia. This is said to be a tactic to end the war in Ukraine.
However, the reasoning behind this action has not been publicly stated, and it is unclear how long this will continue. Trump has in his second term eased the American position against Russia, apparently with the aim to get a deal to end the three year old war.
Hegseth's action has caused alarm across Europe, where Russia is seen as a pressing threat in cyberspace.
This decision comes despite US intelligence warnings of ongoing Russian cyber threats, including espionage, disinformation campaigns and potential attacks on critical infrastructure. Indeed, Russia and the US are in regular confrontation in cyberspace.
The Kremlin sees cyberspace as a source of asymmetric advantage with the US, as it can burrow into US critical infrastructure and try to influence US elections. Now, the Trump administration appears to agree with Moscow's justification for starting the war and has announced plans to meet his counterpart President Vladimir Putin. The US sided with Russia during recent votes at the United Nations related to the war.
Trump has accused Ukraine's President Zelensky of "Gambling with World War Three" during an unprecedented televised argument in the Oval Office.
It leaves questions over the strength of the US fightback in the cyber arena against alleged Russian hacking, election interference and sabotage efforts that have targeted the Western nations which have sided with Ukraine during the war.
Senior members of Trump's team recently met their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia, with the Ukrainians excluded, and have defended their change of approach to Moscow more broadly.
BBC | Straight Arrow News | CNN | YouTube | Dig Watch | Telegraph | The Record |
Image: Ideogram
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