US seeks to reassure allies after secret documents leak

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken and defense chief Lloyd Austin spoke with their Ukrainian counterparts on Tuesday as Washington seeks to reassure its allies after a leaked trove of highly sensitive documents appeared online.

The breach -- which has sparked a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice -- includes classified information about Ukraine's battle against invading Russian forces, as well as secret assessments of US allies.

A document reviewed by AFP highlighted US concerns about Ukraine's capacity to keep defending against Russian strikes, while the Washington Post reported that another expressed doubts about the success of an upcoming offensive by Kiev's forces.

"We have engaged with allies and partners at high levels over the past days, including to reassure them about our own commitment to safeguarding intelligence," Blinken told a news conference on Tuesday.

Blinken said he had spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and "reaffirmed our enduring support for Ukraine and for its efforts to defend its territorial integrity, its sovereignty, its independence."

Austin, speaking alongside Blinken, said he had also talked to his counterpart in Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov.

"He and the leadership remain focused on the task at hand," Austin said, noting that "they have much of the capability that they need to continue to be successful."

Ukraine is expected to launch an attack on invading Russian troops in the spring -- its first major military push of the year.

But one top secret document said tough Russian defenses and "enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive," the Post reported. 

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