Ukraine concealing spring offensive plans from US after Pentagon leak
With incidents such as the Pentagon leaks, it is no longer certain that trust may be as strong as it once was.
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A detailed map of Ukraine that was revealed as part of the first batch of leaks of confidential documents from the US Pentagon on April 7, 2023. (Social media)
A report published by Politico on Tuesday revealed that Kiev is withholding sensitive information about its Spring offensive from its allies after a major breach of security caused hundreds of classified Pentagon documents to be leaked.
According to two European officials who requested anonymity, Ukraine is withholding information about when and where it plans to launch a Spring offensive against Russian forces, as well as the number of troops that will take part in the operation.
Sharing too much information has become a matter of concern for the Ukrainian military leadership. With incidents such as the Pentagon leaks, it is no longer certain that trust may be as strong as it once was.
Over a hundred highly classified documents were allegedly leaked from the Pentagon on April 7 by Massachusetts Air Guardsman Jack Teixeira. Some of the documents included detailed information about the Ukrainian military, as well as US and NATO efforts to strengthen it.
According to a Ukrainian MP, only a handful of people in Ukraine know the details about the Spring battle plans.
Read more: Pentagon leaker could still have access to classified info: Filing
Despite the leak, Kiev still informs the US and its allies of some basic intel, Politico states. Yet, Kiev is choosing to keep its future plans under wraps to avoid risks such as another leak.
Politico further states that the US never got in touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for reassurance about the leaks. Zelensky himself has informed the Washington Post that he had not received anyone from the White House.
WashPo further stated that Zelensky only learned of the leaks via the news, and that he got no prior communication from neither the White House nor the Pentagon.
Zelensky told the outlet that the leaks were greatly detrimental to the US' reputation and pondered whether the leaks were part of a scheme or a real accident.
The Ukrainian president withheld giving his personal views on the matter to avoid damaging relations with the US, which could compromise financial and military assistance, noting that the leaks have ultimately benefited Russia.
Read more: United Nations slams US for spying on Guterres, violating UN charter
