President Donald Trump arrived at NATO headquarters here Thursday under a cloud of suspicion about the security of foreign intelligence shared with the United States, a controversy he tried to head off by vowing to end leaks of secret information.
Trump was due to face an incensed British Prime Minister Theresa May, who plans to confront him over intelligence leaks about the Manchester suicide attack.
Shortly after he arrived at NATO, Trump released a written statement decrying unsanctioned disclosures.
“The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling,” the statement said. “These leaks have been going on for a long time and my administration will get to the bottom of this. The leaks of sensitive
information pose a grave threat to our national security. I am asking the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“There is no relationship we cherish more than the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom,” the President wrote in his statement.
Trump was facing May for the first time since Monday’s suicide attack in Manchester during a meeting here of European and North American leaders. In the days since the attack, secret information about the investigation has appeared in US media after leaks from American officials.
“On the issue of the intelligence sharing with the United States of America, we have a special relationship with the USA. It is our deepest defense and security partnership,” May told reporters as she arrived at the NATO summit in Brussels.
“Of course that partnership is built on trust and part of that trust is knowing that intelligence can be shared confidently, and I will be making clear to President Trump today that intelligence that is shared between law enforcement agencies must remain secure,” May added.
Trump ignored shouted questions about whether Britain could trust the US with its intelligence as he was greeting French President Emmanuel Macron outside the US Chief of Mission’s residence ahead of talks.
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