OAN Staff Blake Wolf
9:25 AM – Sunday, December 21, 2025
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard refuted a report claiming that U.S. intelligence reports are finding that Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to capture all of Ukraine and parts of Eastern Europe formerly under Soviet control.
Gabbard dismissed a Reuters report claiming that Putin still has the intention of expanding his war past Ukraine, citing six anonymous sources.
The report, released on Saturday, claims that a September U.S. intelligence report contradicts President Donald Trump and his negotiators, who have stated that Putin is seeking an end to the war in Ukraine.
The report added that U.S. intelligence has been consistent on the matter since Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, aligning with European leaders on the belief that Putin seeks to take back former Soviet bloc states by force, including NATO allies.
“The intelligence has always been that Putin wants more,” Democrat House Intelligence Committee member Mike Quigley (Ill.) told Reuters. “The Europeans are convinced of it. The Poles are absolutely convinced of it. The Baltics think they’re first.”
Gabbard responded to the report on Saturday afternoon, criticizing “deep state warmongers and their propaganda media” for attempting to undermine President Donald Trump’s peace efforts.
“This is a lie and propaganda @Reuters is willingly pushing on behalf of warmongers who want to undermine President Trump’s tireless efforts to end this bloody war that has resulted in more than a million casualties on both sides,” Gabbard wrote.
Gabbard went on to accuse NATO and the EU of wanting to lure the United States into a direct military conflict with Russia.
“Dangerously, you are promoting this false narrative to block President Trump’s peace effort, and fomenting hysteria and fear among the people to get them to support the escalation of war, which is what NATO and the EU really want in order to pull the United States military directly into war with Russia,” she continued.
“The truth is the US intelligence community has briefed policymakers, including the Democrat [House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence] member quoted by Reuters, that US intelligence assesses that Russia seeks to avoid a larger war with NATO.”
“It also assesses that, as the last few years have shown, Russia’s battlefield performance indicates it does not currently have the capability to conquer and occupy all of Ukraine, let alone Europe,” Gabbard added.
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