The order was reportedly given before last week’s Trump-Zelensky disastrous meeting at the White House
The Pentagon has ordered a halt to offensive cyber operations against Russia, multiple media outlets reported on Monday, citing a senior US official. The decision was reportedly made prior to the heated exchange between Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office last Friday.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued the order to US Cyber Command to cease activities in late February while Washington reassesses its relationship with Moscow, according to unnamed officials.
The Record, a cybersecurity-focused news outlet, was the first to report the development on Friday. It highlighted that the directive does not apply to signal intelligence collection conducted by the National Security Agency, which operates under the Department of Defense.
While details of the rollback remain unspecified, sources claimed it was indefinite. Critics of Trump have characterized the move as a threat to national security, with an official cited by CNN describing it as a “major blow” to America’s ability to infiltrate Russian networks in the future, including in support of Ukraine.
Russia views the US as a significant cyber threat. Increased hostility between the two nations in recent years has hindered efforts to establish ground rules for cyberspace, despite Moscow’s repeated proposals. The US has been a leading player in cyber warfare, highlighted by notable operations such as the sabotage of Iranian uranium enrichment facilities during Barack Obama’s presidency.
Although digital attacks are often challenging to trace, US intelligence agencies occasionally express strong confidence that hacker groups associated with nations such as China and Russia are responsible for specific incidents.
US media typically amplify stories about foreign cyber threats, sometimes without solid evidence. A notorious instance occurred in January 2019 when MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, a vocal critic of Trump, warned her audience that Russia could “kill the power in Fargo today,” amid a severe cold wave in the US. Her remarks seemed to reference false claims from that month regarding Russian cyber infiltration of power grids in Vermont.
The Trump administration has signaled it wants to normalize relations with Russia following a period of hostility and limited communications under the previous administration of Joe Biden. Senior US officials argue that a “mature” foreign policy approach necessitates candid dialogue with rival states.
