At a time when the battles in Ukraine are at a dangerous juncture, with military operations continuing for 11 months, an American official and people familiar with the matter revealed that CIA Director William Burns secretly traveled to Ukrainian capital last weekend.
He added that the visit came to inform President Volodymyr Zelensky of his expectations of what Russia is planning militarily in the coming weeks and months.
He added that it came as Russian forces launched a massive offensive near the eastern city of Bakhmut, which caused many casualties on both sides, while Kyiv was preparing for a major counterattack elsewhere in the country, according to the American Washington Post.
A visit reassured Zelensky
The official also made clear that what was most prominent on Zelensky and his top intelligence officials’ minds during the meeting was how long Ukraine could expect U.S. and Western aid to continue after the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives and the decline in support for Ukrainian aid among parts of the American electorate, the people familiar with the meeting said. .
Burns stressed the urgency of aid, acknowledging that there is difficulty at a certain point in getting it.
Zelensky and his aides came away from last week’s meeting with the impression that the Biden administration’s support for Kiev remains strong, and that the $45 billion in emergency funding for Ukraine approved by Congress last December will last at least until July or August.
They said Kyiv was not sure Congress would pass another multibillion-dollar supplementary aid package, as it did last spring.
And while hardline Republicans in Congress continue to favor arming Ukraine, other conservatives have said they want to cut US spending.
While the official, who declined to be named, explained that Director Burns traveled to Kyiv where he met with his counterparts in Ukrainian intelligence, as well as President Zelensky and reinforced his country’s continued support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.
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Burns is considered a respected figure among Zelensky’s inner circle because of his careful warning in January 2022 that Russian forces would seek to capture Ukraine’s Antonov Airport in the early stages of the operation.
The West postpones support, waiting
His personally delivered message was based on a US intelligence assessment, in which he is credited with helping Ukraine prepare to defend the airport and denying Russia the foothold needed to take Kyiv.
Burns’ skeptical view of Russia’s willingness to negotiate also endeared him to Zelensky’s aides, who were wary of suggestions that Ukraine should consider talking to the Russians to end the conflict.
It is noteworthy that the Ukrainian and Russian forces are currently engaged in a violent war of attrition in the east of the country around Bakhmut.
The city has relatively little strategic value, but it has gained symbolic importance for both sides, especially Russia, which has not acquired a major Ukrainian city since last summer.