‘Russia Does Not Have The Capability To Conquer Ukraine’: US Intelligence Chief, Tulsi Gabbard

Last Updated:December 21, 2025, 21:45 IST

Tulsi Gabbard says US intelligence finds Russia unable to conquer Ukraine or invade Europe, challenging alarmist claims and urging focus on peace efforts amid ongoing conflict.

US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard. (Reuters/File)

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has said that Russia lacks the capability to conquer and occupy Ukraine, dismissing claims that Moscow could go on to invade Europe as alarmist and misleading.

In a post on X, Gabbard said US intelligence assessments do not support narratives suggesting Russia poses an imminent threat to the rest of Europe. “The truth is that US intelligence assesses that Russia does not even have the capability to conquer and occupy Ukraine, let alone invade and occupy Europe," she wrote.

Gabbard accused what she described as “deep state warmongers" and sections of the Western media of exaggerating the threat from Russia to justify pro-war policies. She alleged that such claims were being pushed to derail peace efforts led by Donald Trump.

According to Gabbard, these groups were falsely asserting that the US intelligence community backs the view held by parts of the European Union and NATO that Russia intends to invade and conquer Europe.

She said such portrayals were not grounded in intelligence assessments and were instead aimed at sustaining confrontation. Gabbard did not provide further details of classified intelligence but stressed that misrepresenting threat assessments could undermine diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine and stabilise the broader region.

The remarks come amid continued fighting between Russia and Ukraine and ongoing debate in Washington and Europe over military aid, deterrence and prospects for negotiations to bring the conflict to an end.

Russia wants Ukraine and More

However, a recent Reuters report citing US intelligence assessments said that while Russia may lack the capacity for a broader European invasion, President Vladimir Putin’s strategic objectives in Ukraine remain unchanged.

According to the report, US intelligence officials assess that Putin continues to seek Ukrainian subjugation, even if his immediate military goals have been scaled back due to battlefield losses, manpower constraints and Western military support to Kyiv. The assessment suggests Moscow is pursuing a long war of attrition aimed at exhausting Ukraine and weakening Western backing rather than achieving rapid territorial conquest.

The Reuters report also noted that US intelligence believes Russia retains the intent to pressure Kyiv into concessions through sustained military operations, cyber activity and political influence, even as its ability to decisively defeat Ukraine remains limited.

The contrasting assessments highlight ongoing debate in Washington and among US allies over Russia’s long-term intentions, military capabilities and the prospects for negotiations to bring the conflict to an end.

News world ‘Russia Does Not Have The Capability To Conquer Ukraine’: US Intelligence Chief, Tulsi Gabbard

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