Zelensky’s aides warn him not to share classified military info with Biden
Top advisors of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have warned him against sharing classified military information with US President Joe Biden, as American officials fume about leaks exposing Ukraine war concerns, a report says.
In a report on Wednesday, The Washington Post said that Zelensky’s top advisers had voiced deep concern about Washington’s ability to keep sensitive secrets regarding Kiev’s military might and its war plans in September ahead of his trip to the White House and meeting with Biden.
“Don’t share anything with Biden you don’t want on the front page of The Washington Post,” an adviser warned Zelensky during a pre-trip meeting, according to a person familiar with the conversation, the report said.
The report, citing sources, added that US officials were incensed at the leaks of secret intelligence detailing their assessments and concerns about the war in Ukraine since January.
“We were blindsided and furious,” an unnamed US official told the Post, speaking about the leaks that first appeared on the Discord messaging platform.
According to the report, the leak of classified US intelligence documents – purportedly by Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira – “revealed that, secretly, the United States harbored profound concerns about Ukraine’s prospects for success.”
Teixeira was arrested on April 13 on suspicion of divulging Pentagon’s classified documents to a group of gamers on the messaging app Discord. A day later, he was charged with two counts related to retrieving and distributing classified and national defense information.
It further said the leaked assessments prompted a group of Republicans to question whether US assistance to Ukraine was helpful, adding that the group – now turned into a “powerful bloc” – has blocked the US administration’s $106 billion supplemental funding request.
The leaks contain photographs of about 50 highly classified documents that started circulating online, detailing secret intelligence on various challenges faced by the US, including the war in Ukraine.
