US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has dismissed claims that Russia has the military capacity to occupy Ukraine or launch a wider invasion of Europe, arguing that such assertions are being amplified to sustain pro-war policies rather than advance peace.
In a post on X, Gabbard said US intelligence assessments do not support alarmist narratives circulating in parts of the Western media and political establishment. According to her, Russia lacks the capability “to conquer and occupy Ukraine, let alone invade and occupy Europe,” contradicting repeated warnings from some European and NATO leaders.
Gabbard accused what she termed “deep state warmongers” and allied media outlets of misrepresenting intelligence findings to undermine peace initiatives led by US President Donald Trump. She said these groups are falsely portraying the US intelligence community as endorsing the view that Moscow is seeking territorial expansion across Europe.
Her remarks come amid renewed Western reports suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains committed to occupying Ukrainian territory and potentially threatening other European states. Moscow has consistently rejected such claims.
Earlier this week, Putin dismissed allegations that Russia plans to attack European Union countries, calling them “lies and nonsense” and accusing Western leaders of stoking fear to justify higher military spending, according to Russian state media.
Backing Gabbard’s comments, Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev praised her for challenging what he described as war-centric narratives. In a post on X, Dmitriev said voices questioning escalation are essential to restoring “sanity, peace and security,” while criticising what he called efforts to fuel anti-Russian paranoia across Europe.
Meanwhile, developments on the diplomatic front continue. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States has proposed a possible framework for peace discussions that would bring Ukraine and Russia to the same negotiating table, alongside Washington. However, Zelenskyy expressed scepticism, saying such a format would only be meaningful after further clarity emerges from Ukraine’s consultations with its partners.
Parallel talks have also taken place between Russian and US representatives in Miami. The discussions reportedly involved Dmitriev, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, highlighting renewed behind-the-scenes engagement despite the ongoing conflict.
As debates over intelligence assessments, military intent and diplomacy continue, Gabbard’s remarks have added a new dimension to the discourse—challenging prevailing assumptions about Russia’s capabilities and questioning the motivations behind continued escalation.
