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German Official: Trump May Pose ‘Security Risk for the Entire Western World’

© AP Photo / Andrew HarnikPresident Donald Trump listens during a news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 12, 2017.
President Donald Trump listens during a news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. - Sputnik International
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Reports on Monday about US President Donald Trump revealing classified information to Russian officials regarding the fight against Daesh has led one senior German official to wonder whether the polarizing US head of state is a “security risk.”

The Social Democratic Party’s Burkhard Lischka said that "if it proves to be true that the American president passed on internal intelligence matters, that would be highly worrying." 

White House national security advisor H.R. McMaster speaks in the White House briefing room in Washington, U.S., May 16, 2017. - Sputnik International
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Lischka pointed out that Trump has access to "exclusive and highly sensitive information including in the area of combating terrorism," and that if he "passes this information to other governments at will, then Trump becomes a security risk for the entire Western world."

The Washington Post reported on Monday that Trump "jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State" in his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergei Kislyak. Later reports indicated that the allegedly leaked information came from Israel. 

One unnamed US official said the president "revealed more information to the Russian ambassador than we have shared with our own allies." 

U.S. President Donald Trump (from L), joined by Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Vice President Mike Pence, National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, Communications Director Sean Spicer and senior advisor Steve Bannon, speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. January 28, 2017 - Sputnik International
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Both the White House and Moscow have denied that sensitive information was shared, with Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters Tuesday that "there is nothing to confirm or deny."

Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to defend himself, writing, "As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining to terrorism and airline flight safety," adding that the he did so for "Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism."

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