MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2023) The recent leak of the Pentagon's classified documents has not affected the cooperation between the United States and its allies, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday.
"We have engaged with our allies and partners since these leaks came out and we have done so at high levels and we have made clear our commitment to safeguarding intelligence and our commitment to our security partnerships. What I've heard so far, at least, is an appreciation for the steps that we are taking, and it's not affected our cooperation, I just haven't seen that, haven't heard that," Blinken said during a press conference in Vietnam.
A package of top secret US Department of Defense documents has been leaked online in the recent weeks, disclosing some of Washington's highly classified military analysis and showing that the US was conducting espionage not only on its opponents but also allies, which sparked deep concern among US officials, who think that the situation might endanger the US's sources and undermine important international ties.
On Thursday, the FBI arrested Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the US Air Force National Guard, for his alleged involvement in leaking classified US government and military documents. According to Washington Post, Teixeira started publishing classified documents on Discord around February 2022, at the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
On Friday, a Federal court in Boston charged Teixeira with the unauthorized retention, removal and transmission of classified information, and ordered remain in custody until the next hearing scheduled for this coming Wednesday.
