A long-standing but little-known practice permits service members facing criminal charges to circumvent trial by being discharged from the military. The service members often receive negative marks on their personnel records but avoid the possibility of a federal conviction.
It may prove to be the most serious intelligence leak the U.S. has had in a decade, and behind closed doors, it has set off uncomfortable conversations with the nation’s closest allies.
Ukraine had been clamoring for advanced battle tanks since last year, but the U.S. and other NATO countries delayed for months while debating whether providing them would provoke a Russian escalation.