With our correspondent in New York, Carrie Nooten
The visit came at a crucial moment, amid a counter-offensive by Ukrainian forces in the east and south of the country. The US intelligence chief reviewed Kiev’s plans and also urged that negotiations with Moscow begin by the end of the year.
CIA director William Burns is a regular visitor to Kiev, having been there regularly since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Washington shares confidential information with Kiev and strongly supports Ukrainian forces in their defense against Russian soldiers. Their aim is for Ukraine to regain control of the counter-offensive that has been difficult in recent weeks, in order to be able to negotiate a way out of the conflict.
And William Burns just traveled to Ukraine to go over the different scenarios and strategies. This is not the CIA director’s first visit to Kiev. But this should remain secret. However, since this occurred just days before the Wagner leader’s armed uprising, Washington must have felt it important to show its cards to prove to Moscow that the United States had nothing to do with the uprising mutiny of Prigozhin performed on June 24th. William Burns even called his Russian counterpart this week to convince him personally.
Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Valery Zalouzhny said in an interview published by The Washington Post on Friday that the lack of armament, particularly fighter jets, limited Ukraine’s counteroffensive. And on Tuesday, the United States announced $500 million in new aid to support the counteroffensive, including air defense ammunition and armored vehicles.
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(and with AFP)