U.S. considers sharing real-time border data with Ukraine

The U.S. is considering the sharing of real-time
intelligence regarding Russia troop movements on Ukraine’s border. The
Department of Defense is proposing the sharing of imagery showing “whether
Russian troops were moving to cross the border.” The idea was that the
information “could enable the Ukrainian military to head off an attack”,
nytimes.com reported on Dec. 23. “We tell them, and they use that to target the
Russians,” stated former deputy assistant secretary of defense Evelyn Farkas.
She also noted that the U.S. government had been nervous previously about
sharing such information. Washington is already sharing more intelligence than
before the massing of Russian troops began.

The disclosure comes as the White House and the
Kremlin initiate talks on a meeting between presidents Biden and Putin in
January. Currently, no details on a summit have been agreed upon.

James Hydzik: Giving
Ukrainians a fighting chance is a common position for Ukraine and its allies.
Intelligence of this sort would deprive Russia of the element of surprise, and
is likely to disturb the Russians greatly. How this intelligence is
disseminated is a question, though, and one that we are unlikely to get an
answer to. Given that Russian spies have been uncovered in various parts of the
government lately, ensuring that the intelligence is acted upon properly will
be a vital task.