WASHINGTON/NEW YORK >> The U.S. has paused intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said today, piling pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cooperate with President Donald Trump in convening peace talks with Russia.

British journalist and author Mark Urban, known for his book The Skripal Files, explored whether Zelenskyy can still negotiate peace while remaining in power. He described the Ukrainian president as facing “the most difficult dilemma of his political career” — one complicated further by mounting US pressure.

US authorities have stopped intelligence sharing with Ukraine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed on Wednesday. Following Washington suspending military aid to Kiev in the context of the Russian invasion of February 2022;

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there can be "no pause" in pressure on Russia after another night of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine.

Trump's decision to essentially blind Ukrainian forces marks a major twist in the Russia-Ukraine war as the US has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv since invasion began in February 2022.

If firing CIA officers would prompt them to "risk treason" by spilling nation's secrets, they need to part with the agency, which is the thinking of Director John Ratcliffe.

The U.S. Cyber Command is pausing its offensive operations against Russia. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the decision, which was confirmed Monday by a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations.