Trump Pulls Plug on Cyber War Against Russia—Only to Panic and Restart

Incompetence of the highest order

Top cybersecurity and mainstream media outlets sounded the alarm: The Record broke the story, followed by Politico, Fox News, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Telegraph, BBC, and countless others. The fallout was immediate. Across Europe, the decision sparked outrage, culminating in a facepalm moment from French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot—a rare diplomatic gesture that spoke louder than words.

"I have a bit of trouble understanding [Hegseth's decision]," Barrot told public radio France Inter Monday. The French minister said European Union countries "are constantly the targets" of Russian cyberattacks.

Instead of admitting their mistake and correcting course, the Trump administration chose a different strategy—attacking the very publications that exposed their incompetence rather than addressing the real threat: Russia. Now, the Pentagon denies ever halting offensive cyber operations inside Russia, contradicting earlier reports.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph issued a stark reminder of the stakes: “With a cyber attack, Russia can turn the lights off for millions of people. It can shut down the power grids.”

So why on earth would this administration even consider halting offensive cyber operations inside Russia? There is only one plausible explanation: handing the Kremlin more control over its propaganda machine while strengthening Russia’s global disinformation network. A gift to Putin—wrapped and delivered by Washington, because, in Trump's own words, "it takes two to tango."

If Trump truly wanted to help the Russian people—not the Kremlin—the smartest move would be to double down on offensive cyber operations. Russia’s internal security agency, the FSB, has been floundering for months, stretched thin by the war in Ukraine. Their incompetence was on full display when ISIS staged a devastating terrorist attack right under their noses.

On March 22, 2024, masked gunmen stormed the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Krasnogorsk, a Moscow suburb, killing at least 145 people and injuring over 500 others. It was one of Russia’s deadliest terrorist attacks since Beslan in 2004.

But here’s the kicker: The U.S. knew it was coming.

Thanks to offensive cyber operations inside Russia, American intelligence had pinpointed the attack's time and location weeks in advance. On March 7, 2024, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a stark warning about credible threats targeting large gatherings, including concerts. U.S. intelligence even privately alerted Russian authorities about the impending attack.

And what did the Kremlin do? Nothing.

They dismissed the warning outright. Then, after the bloodshed, they scrambled to cover their failure—cooking up an elaborate lie to blame Ukraine. Meanwhile, ISIS loudly claimed responsibility.

Now, imagine a world without American intelligence operations inside Russia. No warnings. No advance knowledge. No way to expose the Kremlin’s lies. Had the U.S. not been watching, Moscow’s disinformation machine might have convinced the world that Ukraine was behind the attack.

This is just one example of the critical role U.S. cyber operations play—not just for national security, but for global truth. There will be many more. And if America pulls back, the Kremlin will seize the vacuum, supercharging its cyber warfare and propaganda machine worldwide.

We’ve already seen a taste of what happens when Russian influence goes unchecked. On October 31, 2024, a fake video surfaced online, supposedly showing a Haitian immigrant holding multiple Georgia IDs and boasting about voting fraud. Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, quickly called it out as a blatant lie—a textbook case of foreign disinformation designed to shake confidence in the U.S. election.

Investigations confirmed what many suspected: Russian operatives had manufactured the video as part of a broader disinformation campaign to deepen divisions in America.

So, what’s the U.S. plan to counter this? What tools will it use to disrupt Russian cyber warfare? If the answer is retreat, there is no answer. Every inch America surrenders in cyberspace will be filled by Russia. And the consequences will be felt everywhere.

Trump may fantasize about Putin’s admiration, but Putin harbors no illusions. For Russia to win, America must decline. That’s the core of his grand vision—a so-called "multi-polar world" designed to shrink U.S. influence and expand Russia’s. And yet, this administration seems determined to hand him exactly what he wants.

Every blunder, every retreat, every act of negligence from Trump’s team strengthens Putin’s hand. The recent backtrack on cyber operations is just the latest example. It reveals where their true priorities lie—and worse, it sends a chilling message to Europe: Don’t count on U.S. intelligence.

But here’s the twist—it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Every mistake Washington makes is closing the gap between Ukraine and Europe.

• Who helped the Syrians resist a Russian-backed dictator?

• Who is taking the fight to Russian destabilization efforts in Africa?

• Who has the most effective surveillance network inside Russia?

Kyrylo Budanov. Ukraine’s spy chief.

As America steps back, Europe's reliance on Ukraine is skyrocketing. This is Ukraine’s moment to forge even deeper intelligence ties with Paris, Berlin, and London. Budanov should see this as an opportunity—not just to compensate for U.S. incompetence, but to build something better. A stronger, more integrated European intelligence network, with Ukraine at its core, could do more than just fill the void—it could surpass what came before.

And ironically, that would serve the real interests of the American people far better than Trump ever could.