LONDON – Prime Minister Theresa May has defended US President Donald Trump following reports that he leaked top secret national intelligence to the Russian government.
The Washington Post reported this week that Trump invited Russian diplomats into the Oval office where he let slip highly classified intelligence about a plot involving laptop computers on airplanes, including where that intelligence had come from.
One US official told the Post that Trump had “revealed more information to the Russian ambassador than we have shared with our own allies.”
The incident has prompted fears that the US’ allies may be reluctant to share intelligence with the country in future.
However, May today defended Trump, saying that it was up to him which other countries he shared intelligence with.
“Decisions about what President Trump discusses with anybody that he has in the White House is a matter for President Trump,” May told a press conference in London attended by Business Insider.
Asked whether the reports would make her reluctant to share intelligence with the president, she replied that: “We continue to work with the United States and we continue to share intelligence with the United States, as we do with others around the world.”
Asked whether she still “has confidence” in Trump, she replied that: “We have confidence in that relationship between us and the United States, that it helps to keep us all safer.”
She added that the British relationship with the US “is the most important defence and security relationship that we have around the world”.
May has previously come under fire in the UK for her alleged reluctance to criticise the new US administration. May repeatedly refused to criticise Trump’s decision to implement a ban on people travelling from Muslim-majority countries, even when it appeared the ban would affect UK citizens.
Images of May and Trump holding hands at the White House have continued to dog the prime minister, while huge street protests have taken place against May’s plans to welcome the US president for a state visit later this year.
Het bericht Theresa May defends Donald Trump for leaking top secret intelligence to the Russians verscheen eerst op Business Insider.