The White House says it has no indication Egypt is providing Russia with deadly arms for its war in Ukraine.
A leaked US intelligence document obtained by the Washington Post indicated Egypt’s military was planning to produce 40,000 rockets for Russia. It said that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi instructed officials to keep production and shipment secret “to avoid problems with the West.”
“We’ve seen no indication that Egypt is providing lethal weaponry capabilities to Russia,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council.
Kirby said Egypt remained “a significant security partner” and would remain so.
“The United States military has a longstanding defense relationship with Egypt that goes back many, many years,” he said, speaking to reporters on board Air Force One.
The February-dated “top secret document” purported conversations between Sisi and senior Egyptian military officials referencing plans to supply Russia with artillery and gunpowder, and to keep the plans a secret, the Washington Post said.
CNN has not seen the document cited by the Washington Post and is not able to confirm its authenticity.
An Egyptian official, unnamed by state-affiliated media, called the Washington Post report “informational absurdity” and said that Egypt follows a “balanced policy” with all international parties, Al Qahera News, a state-affiliated media outlet said. The statement was carried by several Egyptian state-affiliated news outlets.
Kirby refused to confirm the validity of the document and declined to detail any diplomatic conversations between Washington and Cairo.
