U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered a sharp rebuke Saturday against what she called “warmongers” inside the EU and NATO seeking to pull the United States into a war with Russia. Speaking at AmericaFest, an event hosted by Turning Point USA, Gabbard accused Western officials and media outlets of spreading “lies and propaganda” to undermine President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Gabbard directly rejected a Reuters report published Friday alleging that U.S. intelligence assessments warn Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to take not only all of Ukraine but also extend military ambitions into Europe. The report cited six anonymous individuals described only as “familiar” with the assessments.
Gabbard dismissed the claim as misleading, arguing that the U.S. intelligence community actually assesses that Russia lacks both the intention and capability to conquer and occupy all of Ukraine, let alone Europe. She said the narrative is being used to generate panic and escalate tensions that could lead to direct U.S. military involvement against Russia.
Posting to her X account prior to the speech, Gabbard accused what she called “Deep State warmongers and their Propaganda Media” of trying to discredit Trump’s diplomatic approach. She wrote that Russia does not possess the capacity to invade Europe and argued that the narrative of a coming invasion is designed to rally public support for pro-war policies.
Gabbard also highlighted what she described as a contradiction among Western officials and commentators who simultaneously claim Ukraine can defeat a weakened Russian army, while also warning that Russia will overrun Europe if Ukraine falls.
The Reuters article did not assert that its six sources were intelligence officials themselves, only that they were familiar with the disputed assessments. Gabbard and others have criticized similar sourcing practices as a mechanism for circulating unfounded narratives through the press to shape public perception.