Fresh revelations are brought to light by journalist Aaron Maté that the CIA continues to «operate, if we believe The New York Times, 12 secret bases inside Ukraine», while maintaining control over Ukrainian intelligence services, which, as he argues, it essentially reconstituted from scratch following the overthrow of Yanukovych in 2014.
The statements were made during the program Judging Freedom hosted by Andrew Napolitano, in an interview recorded on the day of the midterm elections in the US, on November 3, under the title «CIA and MI6 against Trump in Ukraine».
Aaron Maté's source for the existence of these specific bases is an investigative report by The New York Times, published in February 2024. According to a summary of the investigation by Ukrainska Pravda, it concerns a network of espionage facilities established with the support of the CIA over approximately eight years, comprising 12 secret locations along the Russian border, within the framework of a partnership initiated in 2014.
The decisive role of the CIA in the war in Ukraine
Responding to Andrew Napolitano's question regarding how extensive the presence of the CIA in Ukraine is today, Aaron Maté argued that the American intelligence agency plays an extremely active role in Kyiv's military operations.
Specifically, he noted that the CIA was the entity that organized the drone strike campaign against Russian energy facilities, which Donald Trump recently began to criticize.
«Trump's CIA was the one that conceived this plan and was helping Ukraine implement it. And Trump was supporting it until the moment he needed to present something to voters ahead of the midterm elections, as the war with Iran was driving a massive surge in energy prices», he characteristically stated.
According to Maté, Trump subsequently backtracked from that policy and leveled criticism at Volodymyr Zelensky. However, as he maintained, the CIA continues its operations in Ukraine as normal.
«As far as I know, the CIA continues its activities as before. It still assists with target identification and provides intelligence», he noted.
The question of financing and the role of billionaires
Continuing the interview, Andrew Napolitano cited information conveyed to him by Alastair Crooke, according to which the CIA possesses funding resources from sources outside the American government as well.
The question raised was whether CIA operations in Ukraine are financed exclusively by the US Department of the Treasury or if additional funding sources exist.
Aaron Maté replied that when an intelligence agency wishes to carry out an activity off the official books, it can leverage the assistance of friendly billionaires or corporations.
«When you want something done off the official books, you can find a friendly billionaire or a corporation that will undertake to do the work on your behalf. This is an intelligence agency practice applied for a very long time», he remarked.
At the top of the relevant list, Maté placed George Soros, arguing that he has played a significant role in Ukraine.
As he stated, as early as 2015, Soros foundations declared they had spent 181 million dollars in Ukraine since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The specific amount is confirmed by a publication from the Atlantic Council on December 14, 2015, according to which Soros had allocated more than 181 million dollars to support nearly 17,000 civil society initiatives in Ukraine.
The International Renaissance Foundation, established on the initiative of Soros in April 1990, reports today that its total funding has reached approximately 380 million dollars.
Aaron Maté also posed the question of whether part of these funds was directed to organizations participating in the uprising that led to the ouster of Yanukovych.
«Given that a portion of this money was directed to groups participating in the uprising that ousted Yanukovych, one has to wonder whether there was some connection to Western intelligence agencies», he noted, adding that this might be something that will never become known.
eBay founder Pierre Omidyar also in the frame
Maté also referenced the founder of eBay, Pierre Omidyar, as another example of a billionaire connected to funding streams linked to Ukraine and international political developments.
Specifically, he referred to a report describing him as a major distributor of disinformation regarding Syria, which had been funded by an institution associated with Omidyar.
He left open the possibility that the report was commissioned at the behest of intelligence agencies that, as he said, he had personally exposed in his reporting.
«Perhaps it happened at the behest of the intelligence services I was exposing. Who knows how all of this operates?», he asked.
However, these references represent conjectures by the journalist and were not presented as verified evidence of direct financing or coordination with intelligence agencies.
CIA and MI6 pitted against the White House?
The discussion regarding the relationship of American and British intelligence agencies with the White House was also of particular interest.
Andrew Napolitano posed the question of whether the CIA and MI6 are moving in the opposite direction from official White House policy, given that Donald Trump states he desires an end to the war, whereas the intelligence services are reportedly pursuing its continuation.
Aaron Maté replied that the situation is more complex, as, he argued, no unified and coherent policy exists inside the American administration.
On one side he placed JD Vance and Tulsi Gabbard, and on the other Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz, and former special envoy Keith Kellogg.
According to Maté, Rubio essentially torpedoed the peace plan of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, following a brief but intense commotion on Capitol Hill.
Referring to Trump's proclaimed ambitions for a peace agreement and the emergence of new leadership in Ukraine, the journalist was emphatic:
«Absolutely. The CIA and MI6 are moving in the opposite direction from the White House».
Zelensky's stance and delays in Patriot deliveries
Earlier in the interview, Aaron Maté had argued that Volodymyr Zelensky's refusal to pursue compromise reflects the stance of a «small group of hyper-extremists» inside Ukraine.
Concurrently, he pointed to American commitments regarding the delivery of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, maintaining that, according to his own assessment, relevant deliveries are now postponed to the fourth quarter of 2030.
However, this specific date could not be confirmed. Recent reporting regarding deliveries of Patriot systems mentions delays without substantiating a specific timetable through 2030.
Trump: «I have a 99% approval rating in Israel»
Toward the end of the interview, Andrew Napolitano presented an excerpt from an earlier statement by Donald Trump, from May, in which the American president had claimed to possess a 99% approval rating in Israel.
«I have a 99% approval rating in Israel. Can you believe it? In fact, if at some point Americans get tired of me, I will move to Israel and become prime minister», Trump had characteristically stated.
Aaron Maté commented that this percentage might reflect reality, though in his view it is of little consequence, given that the American president provides massive financial and military support to Israel.
«It may be true regarding his approval rating, but that is irrelevant, as he provides them with so much money and military hardware», he said.
Andrew Napolitano contrasted this picture with data he cited concerning the popularity of Donald Trump in the US, which, according to the figures he presented, stood at just 33%.
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