Latest news with #JohnBrennan
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Former CIA director says Donald Trump's plan for war in Ukraine is ‘naive and unsophisticated'
Donald Trump's plan for peace in Ukraine has been branded 'naive' and 'unsophisticated' by former director of the CIA John Brennan. In the first five months of his second term, the U.S. president has aggressively pushed for peace but refused to offer unconditional support to Kyiv in its defence against Russian aggression. Mr Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine on the first day of his presidency while on the campaign trail, but diplomatic efforts have stalled and Russia has recently launched some of its largest attacks of the war so far. The US President recently suggested it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' in a sign of his waning interest in ending the three-year conflict. Speaking on Sky News, Mr Brennan said the U.S. president's approach to forcing through a quick peace deal in Ukraine was 'naive' and 'unsophisticated'. "I think that Donald Trump doesn't know what he will do,' said Brennan when asked what the President will do next to secure peace in Ukraine. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine have met for talks multiple times within the past month. But beyond agreements to exchange of prisoners of war, no major breakthrough has been made towards peace. Mr Brennan and Mr Trump have a tense history, and the former has previously been critical of the U.S. president's foreign policy. During his first term in office, Mr Trump described him as the 'worst' CIA chief in history - and in January he revoked Mr Brennan's security clearance. The former intelligence official was involved in Ukraine during his time in Langley and first visited the country in 2014 - the same year Russian forces invaded and annexed the Crimean peninsula. Asked about the strength of the Ukrainian military, Mr Brennan told Sky News: "Pound for pound, [it] punches above the weight of virtually every other military on the globe, I would say including the United States, given the tremendous experience that they've gained on the battlefield". He also suggested that Ukraine's allies were likely aware - at least in part - of the drone attack on Russian airfields deep inside its territory. "I don't doubt for a moment that they were given some additional assistance from Western intelligence and military authorities and capabilities,' Brennan said. "The Ukrainians have done a lot on their own, but I think a lot of this is initially enabled by some ideas that come from their Western allies."
Sky News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Ex-CIA director John Brennan calls Donald Trump's plan in Ukraine 'naive' and 'unsophisticated'
It is nearly 150 days since Donald Trump took office for the second time, promising peace in the Middle East and Ukraine. For the latter, the war grinds on, with reports last week that Russia passed the grim milestone of one million deaths. Ukraine continues to be bombarded, with Russia launching its biggest drone attack against the country since the start of the war. Most likely in retaliation for Ukraine's audacious Operation 'Spiders Web' at the beginning of the month, which saw remote-controlled drones launched deep into Russia, blowing up billions of dollars' worth of military equipment. Russia saw this as a significant escalation, as Moscow's ambassador to the UK told me in a sit-down interview last week. Peace feels a long way off right now. Ex-CIA director John Brennan does not think so. On this week's The World podcast, he called Trump's understanding of both Ukraine and Vladimir Putin "naive" and "unsophisticated". I asked him what he thinks the president may do and, in no uncertain terms, he told me: "I think that Donald Trump doesn't know what he will do." It is no secret that the former director holds a low estimation of the president. For what it's worth, the feeling is mutual. In January, Trump revoked the director's security clearance, and during his first term called him the "worst" CIA chief in history. But, Brennan knows Ukraine. Some reports say that it was during his time as director that the CIA began training Ukrainian spies. 3:31 When he first visited the country in 2014, he recounts how the forces "were still riddled with a lot of the Russian services", but a decade later, what is his assessment of the country's military? "Pound for pound, [it] punches above the weight of virtually every other military on the globe, I would say including the United States, given the tremendous experience that they've gained on the battlefield". So, does the director really believe Ukraine's allies had no prior warning of Ukraine's drone attack? A career spook, he trod carefully around the questions, but admitted: "I don't doubt for a moment that they were given some additional assistance from Western intelligence and military authorities and capabilities. "The Ukrainians have done a lot on their own, but I think a lot of this is initially enabled by some ideas that come from their Western allies." As the battlefields of Ukraine dry out to face another summer of war, this conflict continues to prove it is the "laboratory of the future", as my co-host Richard Engel described it. The drone war intensifies, as does the battle of words between the two countries. As a war of attrition continues in Ukraine, will Donald Trump, now preoccupied with protests in Los Angeles and unleashing thousands more troops on demonstrators, walk away from Ukraine and abandon it?
Sky News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Is Ukraine winning the spy war? In conversation with ex-CIA chief
👉Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim on your podcast app👈 This week, Richard is in Ukraine, recording just hours after the country was hit with 500 drones from Russia. He is in Mykolaiv and brings Yalda up to speed with what the city is like, over two years into the conflict. Yalda then takes Richard behind the scenes of her headline-making interview with the Russian ambassador to the UK who blamed Britain for the Operation "Spiderweb" drone attack. Then, they are joined by ex-CIA director John Brennan who was head of the spy organisation from 2013 to 2017. He was in post when the CIA began working with and training Ukrainians and he tells Richard and Yalda why he thinks Ukrainian spies are now some of the best in the world. He also gives his take on Donald Trump's peace plans, which he calls "naïve" and "unsophisticated". The three of them also dissect the protests going on in LA. To get in touch or to share questions for Richard and Yalda, email theworld@ Episodes of The World With Richard Engel And Yalda Hakim will be available every Wednesday on all podcast platforms.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Fired for telling the truth': U.S. intelligence being twisted to serve Trump's narratives
John Brennan, former CIA director, talks with Jen Psaki about reports of the intelligence community being corrupted to serve Donald Trump instead of working with rigor to determine the truth, and the dangers of manipulating intelligence for political purposes.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge rules Delta must face lawsuit over massive computer outage
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Delta Air Lines must face a class action lawsuit over flights delayed or canceled last July due to computer outages. U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen approved five plaintiffs to pursue breach of contract claims based on Delta's failure to refund. Nine plaintiffs attempted civil action against the company, which allegedly canceled more than 4,500 flights between July 19 and 21 last year. The airline said it was unable to resume operations due to its reliance on CrowdStrike and Microsoft, both of which had system outages. However, plaintiffs allege that CrowdStrike contacted Delta to offer assistance and resources 'within hours of the incident' and that CrowdStrike's CEO even personally reached out to Delta's CEO to provide onsite assistance, but Delta repeatedly either declined the offers or did not respond, according to legal filings. One plaintiff, John Brennan of Florida, said he and his wife missed a $10,000 anniversary cruise after Delta stranded them in an Atlanta layover, yet the carrier offered just $219.45 in compensation, as reported by Reuters. Delta filed a motion to dismiss the case under the the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, a measure that removed government control over airline fares, routes and market entry. Cohen ruled in favor of its dismissal under the law for four cases, but the other five will proceed forward under the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that governs airline liability, particularly in cases of passenger death, injury, or damage to baggage and cargo, according to court documents. Delta Air Lines did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
