Moscow has proposed a significant quid pro quo to the United States, suggesting that the Kremlin would cease sharing intelligence with Iran, including precise coordinates of U.S. military assets in the Middle East, if Washington agreed to stop supplying Ukraine with intelligence about Russia. This proposal was reportedly made by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev to Trump administration envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during a recent meeting in Miami.

According to two individuals familiar with the negotiations, the United States rejected the proposal. These sources, like all other officials cited in the report, were granted anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions. Dmitriev dismissed the report of the proposal as “fake” in a post on X.

The existence of such a proposal has raised concerns among European diplomats, who fear that Moscow is attempting to create a rift between Europe and the United States at a crucial time for transatlantic relations. U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed frustration over the reluctance of allies to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, criticizing NATO allies as “COWARDS” and warning, “we will REMEMBER!”

The White House declined to comment on the matter, and the Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. An EU diplomat described the Russian proposal as “outrageous,” suggesting it could exacerbate suspicions in Europe that the Witkoff-Dmitriev meetings are not yielding tangible progress toward a peace agreement in Ukraine, but rather are seen by Moscow as an opportunity to entice Washington into a bilateral deal that marginalizes Europe.

On Thursday, the Kremlin announced that U.S.-mediated Ukraine peace talks were “on hold.” Russia has made various proposals concerning Iran to the U.S., all of which have been rejected. One such proposal involved moving Iran’s enriched uranium to Russia, a suggestion first reported by Axios.

Russia has increased intelligence-sharing and military cooperation with Iran since the war began, according to a person briefed on the intelligence. The Wall Street Journal reported that Moscow is providing satellite imagery and drone technology to assist Tehran in targeting U.S. forces in the region, a claim the Kremlin labeled as “fake news.”

President Trump hinted at a connection between intelligence-sharing with Iran and Ukraine during a recent interview with Fox News, suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin “might be helping them [Iran] a little bit” and acknowledging that “he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?”

The U.S. continues to share intelligence with Ukraine, despite reducing other forms of support. Washington briefly paused these exchanges last year following a contentious Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which led to a chaotic scramble among allies and exposed deep tensions in the partnership with Kyiv.

One European diplomat attempted to downplay the risk of the Russian proposal, noting that French President Emmanuel Macron stated in January that “two-thirds” of military intelligence for Ukraine is now provided by France. Nonetheless, intelligence-sharing remains a crucial pillar of American support for Ukraine after the Trump administration halted most financial and military aid for Kyiv last year. The U.S. continues to deliver weapons to Ukraine under a NATO-led program where allies pay for arms, although deliveries of critical air defense munitions are strained amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran.

Recently, the Trump administration decided to ease sanctions on Russian oil to alleviate pressure on oil markets, a move that has drawn strong concern and criticism from European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Pour en savoir plus politico.eu