Information flew across the Atlantic from U. It was designed to muster support for Kyiv, and on the strength of the U. Now, officials are bracing for a potentially changed security landscape under President Donald Trump. Both are expected to face sharp questioning from lawmakers during confirmation hearings Thursday.
The Associated Press spoke with 18 current and former senior European and U. The U. In July, the U. In August, the CIA said it provided intelligence to Austrian authorities that allowed them to disrupt a plan, allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group, to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.
Cooperation particularly between the U. There was some skepticism about U. He noted that U. He has criticized NATO allies for not spending enough on defense. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte said.
NATO members have hiked their defense spending β as Trump has demanded β and the alliance is now bigger than before, with Sweden and Finland joining after Russia invaded Ukraine. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who later became a Trump ally, met since-deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad in in Damascus and has promoted Russian propaganda about its invasion of Ukraine.
If confirmed, Gabbard would have the power to declassify information and direct some intelligence sharing with allies. And there are safeguards, current and former officials told the AP, that include agencies sharing intelligence but not sources. But those in top positions will have a huge impact if they lead to staff departures, curtail longstanding surveillance programs as Patel has suggested or politicize their offices in ways that can be exploited by Moscow and other adversaries.
