Finnish FM: US intel leaks to reduce trust between Western countries

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto has said the leak of classified Pentagon data would lead to a decrease in trust between Western allies.

Haavisto made the remarks during his speech on Yle TV on April 13 morning.

According to the Finnish minister, the recent leak of secret Pentagon documents is increasing uncertainty both in the East and in the West.

Such a situation is particularly dangerous during the conflict in Ukraine, he said.

"This tells Russia that they [the Pentagon officials] have a chain through which the material is leaked," he said.

Earlier, The Washington Post reported that the leak of classified intelligence on Ukraine had caused panic in the Pentagon. The New York Times suggested that the leaked data on the state of the Ukrainian Armed Forces had complicated the US relations with its allies.

Politico wrote that Ukrainian authorities were outraged by the United States' assessment of Kyiv’s ability to mount a successful counteroffensive, which came to light after Pentagon documents were leaked.

Secret US intelligence documents surfaced in the media and on social media last week. In total, more than 100 files have been released relating to US national security regarding Ukraine, China and the Middle East, as well as surveillance of Washington's allies and adversaries.