Politico: Trump deepens NATO’s confidence crisis over intel sharing

Concerns are growing among NATO countries regarding the risks of intelligence sharing. Attempts by U.S. President Donald Trump to improve relations with Russia have heightened skepticism about such cooperation with Washington, Politico reports, citing former officials who have worked in security services and alliance structures.

According to the publication, intelligence sharing within NATO has long been complicated by the distrust traditional members have toward Central and Eastern European countries that joined the organization after the collapse of the USSR.

This distrust has increased due to the pro-Russian stances of Hungary and Slovakia. The newspaper writes that Trump’s efforts to improve relations with Russia “is shaking the core of the alliance—prompting countries to wonder about the risk of sharing intelligence with Washington.”

“There are a lot of whispers in the halls of NATO about the future of intelligence sharing within the alliance,” Julie Smith, U.S. ambassador to NATO under Joe Biden until November, said, adding she had “heard concerns from some allies” on whether Washington will continue to share intel with the alliance. Meanwhile, one current NATO official said that following the catastrophic White House meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump on Friday, there were “naturally a lot of questions.”

“However, the staff keeps calm and continues to work. Of course there is corrosion because of the approach on Ukraine, but we remain of the view that Trump has no real issues with NATO beyond spending,” the official said. Another official, who was also granted anonymity, noted that recent international events have not affected intelligence sharing within the alliance.