Americans Were Aware of Intelligence Warning of Ukrainian Pipeline Attacks

Why It Matters: Support for Ukraine may very well be in danger.

While some U.S. officers have gotten extra snug with Ukraine’s covert assaults on Russia, considerations stay about the potential of miscalculation by Ukraine whereas conducting such operations. Sabotaging the Nord Stream pipelines was precisely the form of operation that may concern the United States — a symbolic assault with little army worth that carries a excessive threat of fracturing the alliance supporting Ukraine.

So far, that has not occurred. Even as Germany and different European international locations have realized of Ukrainian involvement within the pipeline assault, they’ve however elevated their army support.

American officers insisted on Tuesday there was no willpower about who inside the Ukrainian authorities might have deliberate or licensed the assault. If it’s ultimately pinned on senior officers, European attitudes about help for Ukraine may change.

Background: Ukraine’s management over covert motion teams is murky.

The Post withheld some particulars of the intelligence, together with the title of the European nation giving the report back to the United States, to guard the sources of the data.

U.S. officers have lengthy acknowledged they had been conscious of a warning that got here from a European ally a couple of potential assault on the pipelines, however for months after the assault they maintained they had been uncertain who performed it.

While officers acknowledged there was some early intelligence pointing to Ukraine, they stated it was contradicted by different materials, in essence saying they didn’t consider the European warning was a smoking gun.

As the investigation continued, U.S. and allied officers turned extra satisfied that pro-Ukrainian teams carried out the assault and elements of the Ukrainian authorities had been one way or the other concerned.

The Post reported that the European intelligence report stated the Ukrainian operatives concerned within the plot to destroy the pipelines reported to Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s senior army officer.

American officers have nonetheless not confirmed General Zaluzhnyi’s involvement. But they stated once more on Tuesday that they don’t consider President Volodymyr Zelensky knew about it. Officials have beforehand described a system created by Ukraine’s authorities that insulates Mr. Zelensky from covert motion packages.

That permits elements of the Ukrainian authorities to make use of pro-Ukrainian teams or sympathizers in Russia to conduct covert assaults, and for Mr. Zelensky to disclaim duty for such actions.

What’s Next: Europe remains to be investigating.

The C.I.A. declined to debate the doc or the assault investigation. John F. Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, stated he wouldn’t talk about intelligence issues, highlighting that the doc was “one that The Washington Post even said was not corroborated by U.S. intelligence agencies.”

Mr. Kirby stated the United States was nonetheless awaiting the outcomes of three ongoing investigations of the Nord Stream sabotage.

Officials say the United States is unlikely to put any public blame for the destruction of the pipelines on Ukraine till after these investigations are achieved.

Aishvarya Kavi contributed reporting.