by RT [3-30-2025 published].

It has long been evident that the US military served as the “the eyes, ears, and brain” behind any significant actions by Kiev, Sergey Poletaev told RT.

The recent New York Times investigation into America’s “hidden role” in the Ukraine conflict has confirmed that the Pentagon played a key role in most of Kiev’s significant military operations against Russia, information analyst Sergey Poletaev has told RT.

In a lengthy report published on Saturday, the US paper claimed that the administration of former US President Joe Biden provided Ukraine with support that went far beyond arms shipments. The cooperation involved intelligence sharing, strategic planning and daily coordination at a US military facility in Wiesbaden, Germany, where American and Ukrainian officers set targeting priorities, which they euphemistically called “points of interest” so as to avoid sounding overly provocative.

According to Poletaev, the report did not offer any groundbreaking revelations.

“It has long been clear that the Americans sought to fight Russia with the hands of Ukraine and that the main contribution they make is intelligence and supply of some kind of strike systems, for which they, in turn, provide intelligence,” he told RT on Sunday.

“It was no secret that the eyes and ears and brain behind any serious Ukrainian actions were the Pentagon. Here you go, all this has just been confirmed,” the analyst said.

The investigation, however, “is useful” since it “shows the train of thought of the American side.” At some point, Poletaev said, the US realized they couldn’t fully control Ukraine’s actions.

“They understood that the puppet they had on their hand was not entirely controllable. The puppet behaved as it saw fit,” he explained. The analyst emphasized that this dynamic is crucial for understanding the conflict’s progression and is indicative of situations “when the tail begins to wag the dog.”

Poletaev described the Ukraine conflict as a classic proxy war, reminiscent of those during the Cold War era. In that respect, he noted that it’s interesting that the NYT described it as “a rematch” for US-Russia proxy wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Syria.

According to the analyst, the findings are unlikely to have any impact on the talks between Moscow and Washington on settling the conflict.

The NYT investigation was based on over 300 interviews with current and former policymakers, Pentagon officials, intelligence officers, and military personnel in Ukraine, the US, Britain, and other European countries. It details the cooperation between Washington and Kiev from the early days of the conflict through late 2024.

NYT reveals ‘secret history’ of US meddling in Ukraine conflict

by RT [3-30-2025 published].

Washington became a “part of the kill chain” by providing invaluable intelligence and strategic support, one official told the paper.

The administration of US President Joe Biden was far more deeply involved in backing Ukraine’s fight against Russia than previously acknowledged, a New York Times investigation has claimed, stressing that Washington’s intelligence was indispensable for Kiev's military operations.

The lengthy report released on Saturday offers a deep dive into an “extraordinary partnership of intelligence, strategy, planning and technology” that became Kiev’s “secret weapon” in countering Russia.

While the Pentagon supplied Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in military aid, it also provided crucial intelligence that enabled Kiev to attack Russian command and control centers and other high-value targets starting in mid-2022, the NYT said.

According to the article, the heart of this partnership lay at the US Army facility in Wiesbaden, Germany, where American and Ukrainian officers set daily targeting priorities which they reportedly referred to as “points of interest,” for fear of appearing too provocative.

American and Ukrainian officers planned major counteroffensives together and launched large long-range high-precision strikes, using Western-supplied weapons on Russia’s Crimea, the NYT also claimed. The strikes using Western-supplied missiles have led to civilian casualties, with one ATACMS attack on a Sevastopol beach in June 2024 killing four and injuring more than 150.

The US has also dispatched dozens of military advisers to Ukraine, some of whom were allowed to travel close to the frontline.

In 2024, the US extended its permissions to allow Ukraine carry out limited long-range strikes using American-supplied weapons into internationally recognized Russian territory – for years considered a “red line.” Washington provided Kiev with the targeting data for the strikes.

One European intelligence official was shocked by the level of US involvement in the conflict, telling the Times, “they are part of the kill chain now.”

The cooperation, however, was at times tenuous due to disagreements over strategy and objectives, especially in the run-up to Ukraine’s botched counteroffensive in the southern sector of the front in the summer of 2023.

American officials reportedly viewed the Ukrainians as too ambitious and dismissive of strategic advice. The Ukrainians accused the Americans of being overly cautious. During the 2023 counteroffensive, the Ukrainian leadership was split between competing objectives – pursuing an assault toward Melitopol, and defending Artemovsk (Bakhmut). This reportedly undermined the unified strategy developed in Wiesbaden.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Ukraine “cannot exist” without outside support. Moscow has repeatedly denounced Western involvement in the conflict, saying it would only prolong the hostilities without changing their outcome.

However, the administration of US President Donald Trump has engaged with Russia with the aim of ending the conflict, an engagement that Moscow has described as productive.

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