Edward Lucas / Translation by iPress
The well-known British columnist and expert at the Center for European Policy Analysis, Edward Lucas, portrays the planned trip of FBI Director Kash Patel to Moscow at the invitation of the FSB as a symptom of a broader crisis of trust among allies towards American intelligence services. He argues that the irresponsible behavior of American leadership—from Patel and Tulsi Gabbard to Trump himself—undermines the decades-old intelligence-sharing system within the “Five Eyes” framework and broader intelligence formats. Lucas warns that the trust of allies, built over decades, can disappear almost instantly, and Patel’s planned visit to Moscow only heightens these concerns.
Mission to Moscow: The FBI Director undermines ally trust
Think twice before sharing intelligence with the careless and greedy people running the United States.
According to a report based on reliable sources but lacking official confirmation, FBI Director Kash Patel is planning to visit Moscow, where he will be received by the Russian security service—the FSB. In principle, there is nothing wrong with this: under the previous administration, then-CIA Director Bill Burns regularly conveyed messages to the Kremlin. However, the news of the visit comes at a time when ally trust in the American intelligence community has hit a new low.
One reason is the FBI Director himself. He is known for his painful reaction to criticism, his self-absorption and arrogance, and his stubborn refusal to acknowledge that Russia interferes in the American political system. This is worrying, as the FBI is not only a law enforcement agency but also responsible for uncovering spies and countering foreign government influence operations in the U.S.
Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, at least publicly, held a similarly strange position. Her temporary replacement by the extremely incompetent Bill Pult also did not reassure allies (the much more competent candidate Jay Clayton is expected to be confirmed soon). The tone of this model of unpredictable, Kremlin-friendly leadership is set by President Donald Trump himself. He behaves carelessly with classified information: notably, storing it without proper protection in his bedroom at Mar-a-Lago or simply spilling secrets to visitors, including Russians.
The empire of secrets is rapidly declining. For decades, the United States led a global intelligence alliance. At the core of this alliance were the “Five Eyes” – the English-speaking allies of World War II: Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The next level was the “Nine Eyes,” which includes Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and Norway; further on are the “Fourteen Eyes,” or “SIGINT Seniors Europe,” which include Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. Other formats and connections – closer or weaker – are never disclosed.
Within these formats, allies regularly took risks for the Americans, swallowed insults, restrained irritation, and put up with foreign arrogance and unreliability – because the benefits of cooperating with American intelligence outweighed the costs. Twenty years ago, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania, among other countries, helped the United States to kidnap and torture terrorism suspects. The Danish military intelligence service helped the National Security Agency monitor Danish and European politicians. When Edward Snowden, a fleeing NSA contractor, disclosed these details, a loud scandal erupted. The Danish intelligence leaders responsible paid a high price for their Atlanticism: they were arrested, surveilled, prosecuted, and disgraced.
Today, it’s hard to imagine Danish intelligence leaders agreeing to bypass rules for their American colleagues. Moreover, after Trump’s threats regarding Greenland and repeated economic pressure on Denmark’s allies, Denmark has officially classified the United States as a threat to its security. The motto “America First” has its price.
Other countries are also concerned. Four former British ambassadors in Washington drew attention to the risks of intelligence sharing in their testimonies before the British Parliament in March 2025. Dutch officials stated in October that they no longer share intelligence related to Russia with their American colleagues. Other sources of concern include unlawful actions by the United States, such as using naval forces to attack ships suspected of drug trafficking.
The most significant change is in the perception of the integrity of the United States. Among all the supposedly scandalous facts revealed by Snowden fifteen years ago (intelligence services spy – what a surprise!), there was no hint that U.S. intelligence was being used to ensure commercial advantage for private companies. Against the backdrop of the increasing intertwining of U.S. state policy with the personal interests of the Trump clan, it seems unlikely anyone would wager that this principle will last long.
This is why Patel’s planned visit to Moscow is causing such concern. What will he negotiate? What information might he share? Countries that have trusted the United States with any secrets related to Russia in the past will be worried – and not without reason. Trust takes decades to build. And it disappears so quickly.
