U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has accused European NATO members of attempting to pull the United States into a direct military confrontation with Russia, sharply criticizing Reuters for what she described as promoting fear and war hysteria that undermines diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.
In a post on X, Gabbard dismissed a Reuters report published Friday that claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to seize all of Ukraine and reclaim parts of Europe once controlled by the former Soviet Union. The report cited unnamed sources described as being familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments. Gabbard called the claims “a lie and propaganda” and accused the news agency of acting on behalf of what she termed warmongers seeking to sabotage President Donald Trump’s push for peace.
Gabbard said U.S. intelligence assessments do not support the notion that Russia is preparing for a broader war with NATO. According to her, Moscow is instead focused on avoiding a wider conflict and lacks the capacity to fight the alliance even if it intended to do so. She warned that portraying an imminent Russian threat to Europe risks inflaming public fear and building support for escalation rather than diplomacy.
Russia has repeatedly rejected accusations that it plans to attack European Union countries, characterizing such claims as deliberate scare tactics used by Western leaders to justify higher military spending. Earlier this week, Putin again dismissed assertions of Russian expansionist ambitions beyond Ukraine as “lies and nonsense.”
Moscow argues that the conflict in Ukraine is defensive in nature and has accused NATO of provoking hostilities while obstructing U.S.-backed peace initiatives. Putin has consistently denied any intention to restore the Soviet Union, instead accusing NATO governments of preparing their populations for war by expanding and modernizing offensive military capabilities while promoting the idea that a clash with Russia is inevitable.
Gabbard’s remarks drew praise from Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Russian official and special envoy involved in Ukraine-related talks with U.S. counterparts in Miami. Dmitriev described her as a rare voice of reason and accused Western political and security establishments of fueling anti-Russian paranoia to push the world toward a wider conflict.
The exchange highlights deepening tensions not only between Russia and NATO, but also within Western political circles over intelligence assessments, media coverage and the risk that escalating rhetoric could derail efforts to bring the war in Ukraine to an end.
