The director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, has met with the president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, on a secret trip to Kiev, to discuss the future of the war.
Burns reportedly traveled to the Ukrainian capital late last week to brief Zelenski on Russia’s military plans for the coming weeks and months, The Washington Post has learned.
«Director Burns traveled to Kiev, where he met with his Ukrainian intelligence counterparts, as well as President Zelenski, and reinforced our continued support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression,» a U.S. official said.
The CIA chief emphasized the urgency of the moment on the battlefield and acknowledged that, at some point, help will be harder to come by, as indicated by the sources consulted by the above-mentioned newspaper.
For its part, Zelenski’s team reportedly left the meeting with the impression that the support of the Biden Administration «remains strong», estimating that the last funds approved by the US Congress could last until the summer.
Kiev has also expressed concern about the durability of support from allies, especially the United States, almost eleven months after the invasion, which began on February 24, 2022, under the mandate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, began.
The Zelenski administration has signaled that it is less confident about the prospects of U.S. lawmakers approving another multibillion-dollar supplemental aid package.
Burns’ visit has come at a time of escalating war in Ukraine, with intense battles raging in the east of the country, in the town of Bajmut, where heavy casualties are being inflicted on both sides.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
