Did the US bug Zelenskyy?
Kyiv softens after US leaks
04/11/2023, 05:40 am
They are probably partly real, partly falsified and are causing a stir in Ukraine and among allies: leaked US intelligence documents on the Russian war of aggression. However, Kiev officially doubts that the US spied on President Zelenskyy. Biden’s government is still in need of explanation.
The US government is trying to clarify after the release of intelligence documents on the war in Ukraine. “We take this very, very seriously,” National Security Council communications director John Kirby said in Washington. The Department of Defense is leading an interagency review “of what impact this could have on national security.” The Justice Department is running a criminal investigation. President Joe Biden will be kept informed.
Apparently secret documents from US agencies on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine have been circulating on the Internet for weeks. US media have been reporting sensitive material on both warring parties for days without publishing the documents themselves. It is unclear who published the documents that were circulated weeks ago on pro-Russian channels. The investigative network Bellingcat proved that some were subsequently manipulated.
While the media reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s environment had reacted angrily to the data leak, Kiev demonstrated its composure, at least outwardly: National Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov denied that data on military operations, the size of the units and the direction had reached the public. “This information is absolutely secret,” he said in an ARD interview. The start of the Ukrainian counter-offensive will only be decided at the last moment.
Was Kiev planning drone strikes on Russian territory?
The Ukrainian leadership also cast doubt on an alleged US wiretapping operation against Zelenskyy. Consultations between the head of state and the military took place differently than published secret service documents, said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak on Ukrainian television. The publications do not jeopardize Ukraine’s relations with its western partners. “These are normal analyses,” he said.
Plans for a Ukrainian counter-offensive would also not be torpedoed because work is still in progress. Previously, there had been reports of secret documents from the US Department of Defense, according to which Zelenskyy had proposed drone attacks on Russian army locations in the Russian state of Rostov in a consultation with the army leadership at the end of February. That may have encouraged Washington not to supply Kiev with long-range weapons, it said. Podoljak contradicted this statement: “It makes no sense to simply say in the abstract: ‘Let’s bomb the Rostov region.'” Rather, priorities are set and strategies defined at such consultations.
Zelenskyj ignores Leak in video speech
Zelenskyy ignored the publication of the documents in his daily video address. Instead, he welcomed the exchange of more than 200 prisoners of war between Moscow and Kiev. “These are 100 families who were given real joy before Easter,” Zelenskyy said of the Ukrainian returnees. The Orthodox Churches celebrate Easter next Sunday. The head of state thanked Germany for further military aid. Armor technology, air defense systems, ammunition, machines and medical technology have been delivered in the past two weeks. Referring to Russia, Zelenskyy added: “The word loser must accompany the word aggressor. And only a Ukrainian victory can ensure that.”
South Korea is also officially supporting the United States and, like Washington, has doubted the authenticity of the leaked US intelligence documents. “The two countries agree that much of the information released is falsified,” Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo said as he left for Washington. The paper details internal discussions between South Korean officials over US pressure on the Seoul government to supply arms to Ukraine. The undated document said South Korea had agreed to sell artillery shells to help the US replenish its stockpiles. Internally, senior South Korean government officials were concerned that the US could divert the grenades to Ukraine. South Korea is banned by law from selling arms to countries involved in conflict.
According to South Korea, the latest disclosure will have no impact on the alliance with the United States. “The US is the country with the best intelligence capability in the world, and since Yoon took office, we’ve exchanged intelligence on almost every field,” Kim said.