CAIRO (Al Jazeera) – Egypt was planning to manufacture rockets for Russia but then suspended that effort and decided to supply ammunition to Ukraine after talks with United States officials, The Washington Post has reported, citing leaked intelligence documents.
The Post had reported last week that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi secretly planned to produce 40,000 rockets for Russia. But in a new report on Thursday – based on leaked Pentagon files that had been circulating online – the newspaper said Cairo suspended that push in early March.
The Washington Post said Egypt also approved the sale of artillery ammunition to the U.S. “for transfer to Ukraine”, calling the shift an “apparent diplomatic win” for President Joe Biden’s administration.
Egypt, which enjoys warm ties with Russia despite being a close U.S. ally, has previously denied plans to produce rockets for Russian forces, stressing that it is pursuing a policy of “noninvolvement” in the war on Ukraine.
The Biden administration has been trying to rally allies to Ukraine’s aid, warning countries across the world against assisting Russia’s efforts or violating Washington’s sanctions against Moscow.
Last week, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. has seen “no indication that Egypt is providing lethal weaponry capabilities to Russia”, stressing that Cairo remains a “significant security partner” in the region.
Several U.S. officials have visited Egypt this year, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who met with el-Sisi in March.
“He [Austin] provided updates on Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, its global economic consequences, and the threat that this conflict poses to the rules-based international order,” the Pentagon said after the meeting.
With more than $1bn in annual aid, Egypt is one of the top recipients of U.S. military assistance in the world.
But Biden has been facing pressure from progressives and rights advocates to place conditions on U.S. aid to Egypt to push el-Sisi’s government to improve its human rights record.