The CIA director said that if the US cuts support for Ukraine at this difficult time, it would be a "historic own goal".
In a commentary published on January 30 in Foreign Affairs , an American magazine on international relations and foreign policy, Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns wrote that President Vladimir Putin believes that Russia can defeat Ukraine and weaken Western support for Kiev as the war drags on.
"The key to success lies in maintaining Western aid to Ukraine," he said.
According to the CIA Director, aid to Ukraine accounts for less than 5% of the US defense budget and is a "relatively modest investment compared to the significant geopolitical benefits for Washington, as well as bringing large profits to US industry".
He argued that continuing to supply weapons to Ukraine would give the government in Kiev a “stronger position” in any potential peace talks and strengthen Ukraine’s prospects of victory in the long term, inflicting strategic losses on Russia.
"America turning its back on the conflict at a critical moment and cutting off support for Ukraine would be nothing short of a historic own goal," the CIA director stressed.
CIA Director William Burns at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in March 2023. Photo: AFP
Regarding the war between Israel and Hamas, Burns said the Middle East is a region that is more unstable and prone to conflict than at any time in his four decades of diplomatic service there.
According to him, it is important to pursue "lasting peace" that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state, ensures Israel's security and normalizes relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
The CIA director said the key to ensuring security for Israel and the region is "dealing with Iran," although he did not elaborate.
Burns is the latest senior US official to publicly offer support to Ukraine, as US President Joe Biden seeks to push Congress to approve $61 billion in aid to Kiev. However, Republicans in the US Congress have so far refused to approve the proposal, arguing that the Biden administration is prioritizing support for Ukraine over domestic issues.
The CIA director's comments also come after he secretly visited Kiev earlier this month and informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of his predictions about Russia's plans for the near future.
Huyen Le (According to NBC , Politico , Pravda)
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