Cairo: Egypt was planning to manufacture rockets for Russia but then suspended that effort and decided to supply ammunition to Ukraine after talks with United States officials, The Washington Post has reported, citing leaked intelligence documents.
The Post had reported last week that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi secretly planned to produce 40,000 rockets for Russia. But in a new report on Thursday – based on leaked Pentagon files that had been circulating online – the newspaper said Cairo suspended that push in early March.
The Washington Post said Egypt also approved the sale of artillery ammunition to the US “for transfer to Ukraine”, calling the shift an “apparent diplomatic win” for President Joe Biden’s administration.
Egypt, which enjoys warm ties with Russia despite being a close US ally, has previously denied plans to produce rockets for Russian forces, stressing that it is pursuing a policy of “noninvolvement” in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Last week, US authorities arrested an Air Force National Guard member, accusing him of posting online secret documents meant for top Pentagon officials.
The files, which first appeared on the social media website Discord, included details of Western military support to Ukraine, information about Russia’s war effort and intelligence collected from allied states. US officials have not denied the validity of the documents, acknowledging that they “present a very serious risk to national security” and appear to be real, though in some cases altered. –Agencies
Al Jazeera has not seen the documents concerning Egypt.
The Biden administration has been trying to rally allies to Ukraine’s aid, warning countries across the world against assisting Russia’s war efforts or violating Washington’s sanctions against Moscow.
