Intelligence-sharing between the United States and Ukraine has rebounded to previous highs, giving Kyiv crucial support as it gains ground against Russian forces in the fourth year of Moscow's invasion. The renewed cooperation has enabled Ukrainian forces to strike deep within Russian territory, stabilize front lines, and reclaim lost ground—even as U.S.-mediated peace negotiations remain frozen.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the intelligence committee's ranking member and a longtime advocate for robust U.S. assistance to Ukraine, confirmed he's seen evidence of improved intelligence coordination. "I don't want to get into any specifics, but it has improved," Warner said. He credited Ukraine's use of long-range drones and missiles, backed by American intelligence, with allowing Kyiv to strike deep within Russian territory and strengthen its position.
Battlefield Gains Shift Momentum
Kyiv's more aggressive strikes across Russia in recent months have allowed it to take back territory and stabilize the front line. That's given the country more leverage as Ukraine seeks to use battlefield gains to pressure Russia toward negotiations. Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Roger Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, agreed that intel-sharing has increased at a strategically critical moment. "It sure seems like that," Cornyn said. "Everybody loves a winner and looks like Ukraine has turned the tide."
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who visited Ukraine in April 2025 and again in July 2026, said he's detected greater confidence in communication between the two countries. "I was in Ukraine in April 2025 and I was there again in July 2026. And I detect more confidence in the communication," Kaine said.
George Barros, director of innovation and open source tradecraft at the Institute for the Study of War, said American cooperation has been key to Ukraine's positive turn. Trump reportedly approved intelligence sharing for Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure last year, Barros said, and the strikes were "supercharged" and became significantly more effective when imbued with intelligence from the Americans, part of a "larger, more coherent strategy for how to actually create real costs." American early warning systems have been alerting Ukrainians to incoming Russian missile attacks since the early days of the war, Barros added.
Intelligence Flows Both Ways
Washington also stands to benefit from Kyiv's intelligence, said John Herbst, who served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2003-2006 and still maintains contact with officials in the country. "There's no doubt of the following: Ukraine has outstanding intelligence on Russia," he said. Stephen Sestanovich, a fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Ukrainian intelligence officials display "confident insights into what is going on in Moscow, and not just in the Kremlin." He called them "Insights of a sort that justify a truly cooperative and reciprocal sharing arrangement."
The White House didn't provide details on whether its intelligence-sharing relationship with Ukraine has expanded, but said Trump is focused on facilitating an end to the war. "The President wants this war settled so the senseless killing ends," a White House spokesperson said in a statement. "The President and his team remain committed to continuing to play a constructive role in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, and he remains optimistic that we'll ultimately get a peace deal done." The CIA and ODNI didn't respond to requests for comment.
Peace Talks Frozen as Iran Takes Priority
Ukraine's stronger footing comes as U.S.-mediated talks to strike a peace deal with Moscow have stalled. Trump's negotiating team, which includes Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, has been preoccupied with the Iran war, bumping Ukraine down its priority list. In that time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears to have risen in President Donald Trump's estimation as Kyiv has made gains against Russia.
In early July, a barrage of Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure forced Moscow, one of the world's top fuel exporters, to halt its exports of diesel. Zelenskyy has sought to put that intelligence to use. Before his July visit to the Oval Office, he claimed Kyiv planned to provide Trump with evidence that Russia was aiding Tehran.
Why This Matters:
The resurgence in U.S.-Ukraine intelligence cooperation represents a critical lifeline for a country defending its sovereignty against a much larger aggressor. Enhanced intelligence sharing doesn't just help Ukraine defend itself—it strengthens the democratic world's collective security by degrading Russia's capacity to wage war and destabilize neighboring countries. The battlefield gains enabled by this cooperation have given Ukraine leverage it desperately needs at the negotiating table, potentially preventing a settlement that would reward Moscow's aggression with territorial concessions. Yet the stalling of peace talks, sidelined by other U.S. priorities, leaves millions of Ukrainians in limbo, facing continued bombardment and displacement. The reciprocal nature of intelligence sharing also underscores Ukraine's value as a strategic partner—its insights into Russian operations benefit American security interests far beyond Eastern Europe. How Washington balances its support for Ukraine's defense with its pursuit of a negotiated settlement will shape not only Ukraine's future, but the broader international order's response to wars of conquest.