"Sloat explained that she “was uncomfortable with the idea of the US pushing Ukraine” against pursuing NATO membership, “and sort of implicitly giving Russia some sort of sphere of influence or veto power on that.”

Where’s the prank or smoking gun?

If the US publicly told Ukraine and Russia that they are forever barred from NATO that MAYBE Russia wouldn’t have invaded? That’s a secret?

Appease Hitler and maybe he won’t take the Sudetenland? Chamberlain was pranked into revealing a big secret. Oh wait, Hitler took it anyway.