The US policy on Russia-Ukraine is marked by self-contradiction, with President Trump attempting to secure a deal with Russia while the CIA pursues its own covert action war against Moscow.
What happened
A recent profile of CIA chief John Ratcliffe highlighted the agency's lead role in Ukraine and its paramilitary wing's enthusiasm for covert action, which has led to strikes deep inside Russia and the provision of early warning systems for incoming missiles and drones.
The CIA's actions have been seen as contradictory to Trump's attempts to improve relations with Russia, including a recent deal to import Russian diesel into the US. Former CIA official Larry Johnson noted that the US is simultaneously paying to destroy Russian diesel production and begging Russia to sell it more diesel, describing the policy as incoherent.
The Russian leadership, particularly President Vladimir Putin, is aware of the contradictions in US policy and has responded by launching a campaign to destroy Ukraine's militarily useful infrastructure, aiming to banish the threat of a potential attack from the west for at least a generation.
