Your Evening Briefing: Fallout From the Big Pentagon Leak Spreads

The trove of documents on social media said to be one of the most serious US intelligence breaches in decades has—behind closed doors—set off uncomfortable conversations with America’s closest allies. The documents reportedly reveal just how closely the US is spying on its friends. While friendly espionage is unsurprising in intelligence circles, having to own up to it is always a delicate dance. And for America, the timing couldn’t be worse: President Joe Biden is seeing the leaders of the UK and South Korea in the coming days. But more importantly, the war in Ukraine is at a turning point, and the leak of what’s purported to be specific and recent military intelligence could have deadly ramifications on the ground.

Some of the leaked documents are said to suggest Ukraine’s military is in dire need of ammunition and that its air force is at risk. They also reportedly underscore that Ukraine’s allies believe the war will be at a stalemate through the year. The documents also are said to suggest other countries are aiding Russia by helping the Kremlin skirt Western sanctions. The Associated Press reported some of the files showed Russian operatives had persuaded the United Arab Emirates to work against the US and the UK, something the US was concerned about as far back as October. Still, for all the furor over the leak’s fallout, there are some saying the documents and their contents could be part of a much more complicated game.