UPDATE - Trump Briefed On Reports About Alleged Russian Bounties In Afghanistan - White House

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st July, 2020) US President Donald Trump has been briefed on the unsubstantiated media reports about allegations that Russia offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to assassinate US soldiers in Afghanistan, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during a press briefing.

"The President has been briefed on what is, unfortunately, in the public domain because of the New York Times and the irresponsible leak," McEnany told reporters on Tuesday.

McEnany emphasized that there is no consensus in the US intelligence community on the credibility of the allegations and the claims still have to be verified.

The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, she added, said the "selective leaking of any classified information disrupts the vital interagency work to collect, assess, and mitigate threats and places our forces at risk."

"It is also - simply put - a crime," she said.

The White House spokesperson also talked directly to the leakers.

"To the anonymous sources who leak classified information, you should know this: You may seek to undermine our President, but in fact you undermine our country's safety and our country's security," McEnany said.

On Friday, the New York Times published an article citing unnamed US intelligence officials who claimed that a Russian military intelligence unit offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill US and coalition soldiers in Afghanistan.

Trump said that neither he nor Vice President Mike Pence received a briefing on the issue because the US intelligence community said the allegations were not verified or substantiated. Trump called the article another attempt at a Russia hoax to make Republicans look bad in an election year.

Russian officials have denied the allegations as false and characterized them as being part of the internal political infighting in the United States.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the Russian and US governments have not been in contact regarding the US corporate media allegations.