US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued a directive prohibiting sharing intelligence on negotiations between Ukraine and russia even with closest allies, reports "UP" citing CBS News.
According to the publication, on July 20 Gabbard issued a directive to the US intelligence community, ordering not to pass on information about the progress of peace negotiations between Ukraine and russia even to the intelligence services of the "Five Eyes" – the intelligence alliance created after World War II, which includes the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
According to sources, the directive classifies all information and analysis regarding the negotiations as "NOFORN" (meaning "no foreign dissemination"). This means it cannot be shared with other states or foreign citizens. The only exception remained the data that had already been made public.
The directive also restricted the distribution of materials only within the agencies that created or provided them. At the same time, the order does not prohibit the exchange of diplomatic information obtained through other channels, as well as military intelligence not related to the negotiation process, for example, details the US shares with the Ukrainian military to support defensive actions.
"In general, the value of the 'Five Eyes' partnership lies in the fact that when making policy decisions we complement each other's intelligence, which means we better understand the plans, intentions, and capabilities of our adversaries", - explained former CIA and US Department of Homeland Security officer Steven Cash.
"The point is that we and the other four countries are sitting on one side of the table, while on the other side is a common adversary", - he added.