US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a halt to all of the country’s cyber operations against Russia, including offensive actions, according to several American media reports on Sunday.
This pause is part of a reevaluation process of US operations towards Russia. The duration of the pause remains unclear, according to the New York Times.
The Pentagon has not commented on the matter, citing the need to preserve operational security.
“There is no higher priority for Secretary Hegseth than the safety of our service members in all operations, including cyber,” a Pentagon official stated.
This halt comes as President Donald Trump leads a historic rapprochement with Moscow, initiated around the conflict in Ukraine.
After being a principal supporter of Kyiv against Russian aggression, Washington, under Trump’s direction, appears to be pushing Ukraine to accept a ceasefire, without necessarily considering security guarantees, which Kyiv refuses and Moscow favours.
This shift, decided without consultation with European allies, plunges them into disarray as they have long relied on Washington for their security and protection.
Russia is frequently accused of waging a so-called hybrid war against Western countries, especially to undermine their support for Ukraine.
For Trump, the US has more urgent concerns than the Washington-Moscow rapprochement.
US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, questioned on CNN about this operational cyber pause with Russia, denied its existence.
