WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has reinstated U.S. satellite imagery support for Ukraine, reversing a suspension imposed less than two weeks ago amid growing diplomatic tensions between Washington and Kyiv over a potential ceasefire in Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia.
A spokesperson for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) confirmed March 18 that Ukraine has regained access to the commercial satellite imagery platform that has been a crucial component of its intelligence-gathering capabilities since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
“In accordance with the administration’s directive on support to Ukraine, NGA has resumed access to the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery system, or GEGD, which is the primary portal for access to U.S. government-purchased commercial imagery,” the agency said in a statement.
The decision to restore access follows a temporary freeze on the imagery-sharing program that coincided with reports of friction between the U.S. and Ukrainian governments over the terms of a possible ceasefire. Ukraine has relied on high-resolution electro-optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to track Russian troop movements and plan counteroffensives.
Resumption of military aid
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told reporters March 17 that broader U.S. military aid to Ukraine has also resumed, along with intelligence sharing.
“The military aid to Ukraine has been turned back on, as well as intelligence sharing with our Ukrainian partners,” Parnell said, adding that senior administration officials have been “heavily involved” in diplomatic discussions aimed at reaching a resolution to the war.
Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, director of operations for the Joint Staff, also confirmed the renewed assistance, stating that military aid and intelligence-sharing efforts are once again flowing into Ukraine. “We’ve got confirmed reports that it is continuing or is flowing back into Ukraine and, of course, daily reports on the outcome of the intelligence sharing and those efforts,” Grynkewich said.
NGA’s imagery platform
The GEGD system, developed by Maxar Intelligence for NGA, serves as a central repository for satellite imagery procured by the U.S. government. It aggregates data from multiple commercial providers, including Planet, Iceye, BlackSky, and Capella Space, in addition to Maxar.
NGA, a U.S. intelligence agency, supports the Department of Defense and other federal agencies by providing geospatial intelligence used in military, intelligence and humanitarian operations.
