French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that his country has now overtaken the US as the main provider of intelligence to Ukraine.
“Where Ukraine was overwhelmingly dependent on American intelligence capacity, a year ago, two-thirds is today provided by France. Two-thirds,” Macron said in a New Year’s speech to the French military.
The French leader’s comments indicate a shift in the dynamics of Western contributions to the war and suggest that the US may have scaled back its military relationship with Ukraine.
The US briefly suspended intelligence-sharing and aid to Ukraine in March 2025, as the Trump administration was attempting to negotiate a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow. After roughly a week, Washington said it was lifting the suspension.
But it’s been unclear so far whether the Pentagon has continued to provide intelligence at the same level as it did during the Biden administration.
The New York Times previously reported that, in those years, US-Ukrainian intelligence-sharing ties had been so close that officials from both countries worked in the same facility to coordinate military strikes.
One of the most vital roles played by US intelligence at the time was providing targeting data and situational awareness for Ukrainian troops, especially when the latter were using American-made systems for the attacks.
Ukraine has since been trying to develop its own strike capabilities, including long-range precision missiles, that might allow it to strike Russia without Western approval.
It’s also unclear exactly how Macron quantified two-thirds of Ukrainian intelligence capabilities. His speech did not say whether he was referring to two-thirds of the intelligence provided by Ukraine’s foreign partners or to two-thirds of all the intelligence used by Ukraine’s forces.
The Élysée Palace and French defense ministry did not respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours. Ukraine’s defense ministry and the Pentagon have also not responded to similar requests for comment on Macron’s remarks.
The French president’s point on intelligence-sharing with Ukraine aligns with his larger push to position Paris as a regional military leader, while the Trump administration seeks to curb American involvement in Europe. President Donald Trump has also recently rattled European leaders by alluding that the US could try to take over Greenland, a Danish territory.
Macron said on Thursday that France had helped Ukraine to rebuild its forces and provided Kyiv with security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire.
Last week, European NATO members and the US issued a declaration that said willing countries would form a multinational, “European-led” force to provide “reassurances” to Ukraine and stave off a second Russian invasion or attack.
“The signal sent to our Ukrainian partners, to other Europeans, and to the world is that we are ready,” Macron said. “We are ready to sustain this effort of resistance. We are ready to deter new aggressions or to maintain peace on our soil.”
Read the full article here
