Before the Oval Office blowup, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered U.S. Cyber Command to halt offensive operations against Russia, according to a current official and two former officials briefed on the secret instructions.
It was a key move to encourage Russia to come to the table. It’s the exact opposite of what the EU plans. They want to arm Ukraine to the gills and present Ukraine as a menacing presence.
Mr. Hegseth’s instructions, part of a larger re-evaluation of all operations against Russia, have not been publicly explained. But they were issued on Friday before President Trump’s public blowup in the Oval Office with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
The precise scope and duration of the Defense Department order are unclear, as the line between offensive and defensive cyberoperations is often blurry.
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