Egypt rejects leaked intel claims that it produced arms for Russia

A senior Egyptian official on Tuesday denied the claims floating in the leaked classified Pentagon documents that the country’s military was in process of manufacturing an estimated 40,000 rockets for Russia. After the trove of leaked US intelligence documents was reported by Washington Post, the Egyptian state-affiliated media quoted the officials as denying the veracity of those claims. The paper stated that Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi instructed the military officials to keep production of the rockets, and arrange the "secret" shipment to Russia “to avoid problems with the West”.

Egypt follows 'balanced policy': Officials

Egypt officials, are in fact, claiming that the conversations between Sisi and senior Egyptian military officials to supply Russia with artillery and gunpowder, aren't true. It went on to iterate the fact that Egypt is one of the world’s top recipients of US military aid. The country annually received a whopping $1.3 billion in military funding. Egyptian official, unnamed by state-affiliated media, trashed the Washington Post report, citing the “informational absurdity".

Egypt follows a “balanced policy” with all international parties, they clarified, according to the Egyptian state-affiliated media outlet  Al Qahera News. Several Egyptian state-affiliated news outlets carried reports denying the claims made in the leaked Pentagon papers. The White House also denied that Egypt may be supplying arms to Russia, adding that the country may not have any role in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict. A spokesman for the US National Security Council, John Kirby, was quoted by American broadcasters as saying, “we’ve seen no indication that Egypt is providing lethal weaponry capabilities to Russia.” Egypt remained “a significant security partner” to the US, and that continues to be so, he added. “The United States military has a longstanding defence relationship with Egypt that goes back many, many years,” Kirby, further iterated. 

"Egypt is a close partner and we are regularly engaged with its leadership on a host of regional and global issues," said John Kirby, responding to the claims in the leaked Pentagon papers. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also rejected the claims, calling it "another hoax" at the state presser. "It looks like another hoax, of which there are plenty now. This is how you should treat such publications," Peskov said in response to a question on the Pentagon declassified material leaked online.