Key points
- Pete Hegseth orders pause on all cyber operations against Russia
- There will be all kinds of carrots and sticks to get this war to an end: Waltz
- Trump has cast himself as a mediator between Putin and Zelensky
WASHINGTON, United States: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a pause on all of the country’s cyber operations against Russia, including offensive actions, multiple US media reports said on Sunday.
According to CBS News, multiple US officials told the news outlet that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a directive to US Cyber Command to pause planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions. The duration of the pause is unclear, and the reasoning behind it is unknown at this time. The change comes amid President Trump’s efforts to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, and just two days after Trump sparred with Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office exchange.
No comments
The directive was first reported by The Record, a cybersecurity news publication.
CBS News reported when asked for comment, a senior US defence official said, “Due to operational security concerns, we do not comment nor discuss cyber intelligence, plans, or operations. There is no greater priority to Secretary Hegseth than the safety of the Warfighter in all operations, to include the cyber domain.” Asked about the pause on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday morning, Republican Rep Mike Turner of Ohio said, “I’m unaware of that. I don’t believe — there are too many, I’m certain, considerations there for that to be an accurate statement so blanket.” When pressed, Turner, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee and is the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said, “Considering what I know, what Russia is currently doing against the United States, that would I’m certain not be an accurate statement of the current status of the Unites States operations.”
“Unaware of the directive”
According to CBS News, on CNN State of the Union, national security adviser Mike Waltz said he was also unaware of the directive. Asked whether there were talks about pausing offensive cyber operations against Russia, Waltz said, “That has not been part of our discussions. There will be all kinds of carrots and sticks to get this war to an end.”
The AFP reported that the order was part of an overall reevaluation of US operations against Moscow, according to the New York Times, with the duration or extent of the pause unclear.
The Pentagon declined to comment when queried by AFP.
“Operational security concerns”
“Due to operational security concerns, we do not comment nor discuss cyber intelligence, plans, or operations,” a senior defence official said.
Western countries have accused the Kremlin of masterminding a string of incidents aimed at trying to undermine support for Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion.
Trump, meanwhile, has cast himself as a mediator between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky, sidelining Kyiv and Europe while pursuing rapprochement with Putin.
“We should spend less time worrying about Putin,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform late Sunday, according to AFP.
