Pentagon leak won't impact Ukraine, experts say. But what is the 'political cost' to come?

Fallout from leaked Pentagon documents revealing intelligence secrets continues to reverberate around the world as officials scrambled Tuesday to assess the damage and identify the culprit. 

Since Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was briefed on April 6 on the disclosure on social media of what appear to be highly sensitive documents related to the war in Ukraine, the web of U.S. allies and adversaries implicated in the leaks continues to grow. One recent revelation, for example, involved an analysis in February of how Israel might begin providing lethal aid to Ukraine.  

Some experts view the leaks as less a game changer on the battlefields of Ukraine and more an intelligence and diplomatic crisis for U.S. officials.

"The leaks are definitely embarrassing and have a political cost," said Seth Jones, senior vice president and director of the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Based on past wars, however, they are unlikely to have a meaningful impact on the outcome of the war in Ukraine."