CIA Director William Burns acknowledged Thursday that without U.S. military assistance, Ukraine could experience significant setbacks in its war with Russia.
The Ukrainians are “at a difficult time on the battlefield right now,” Burns said during a question-and-answer session at the Bush Center's Leadership Forum in Dallas.
With additional US help, Burns said, Ukrainian forces “can remain on the battlefield in 2024 and continue to inflict damage with deeper strikes in Crimea … and against the Black Sea Fleet.”
Burns added that “with the boost that would come from military assistance, both practically and psychologically… the Ukrainians are fully capable of holding out until 2024 and shattering Putin's arrogant view that time is at his side”.
Their comments come as a Stalled Congress remains stagnant with the help of Ukraine. Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson presented three bills to provide military assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwanincluding $60.4 billion for Ukraine.
“Without additional help, the picture is much more dire,” Burns said. “I think there is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could lose on the battlefield in late 2024, or at least put Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement.”
Burns Thursday also addressed the Middle East, China and other pressing national security issues. He alluded to the far-reaching implications of the war in Ukraine, including in the Indo-Pacific. While Western solidarity in the face of Russian aggression was initially troubling to Chinese President Xi Jinping as he considered making a move on Taiwan, Burns said, “the surest way to undo that impact is to Let's see ourselves moving away from the Ukrainians right now.”
As for the Middle East, Burns said he had “seldom seen a more combustible moment than it is today” in his 40 years in public service.
He called Iran direct attack in Israel last Saturday was a “spectacular failure” due to Israel's integrated air defense, good intelligence, military prowess and help from the US and regional partners.
Burns' comments came hours before multiple sources confirmed to CBS News Israel launched a missile attack Friday morning in Iran.
He said the “broad hope” of President Biden and his administration was “that we will all find a way to de-escalate this situation, especially at a time when … the Israelis have so clearly demonstrated their superiority.”
Burns recognized your personal commitment over the past six months in talks on a ceasefire and the release of hostages Israel-Hamas war.
US officials have been pushing for a six-week ceasefire that would allow for the gradual release of hostages and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Israeli officials said around 240 people are believed to have been taken hostage amid the October 7 Hamas terror attack. Six months laterless than half of those captured have been returned.
Burns noted that he has met with families of hostages and that reaching an agreement had “proved to be very difficult.”
“It's a big rock to push up a very steep hill right now,” he said, adding that it was a “deep disappointment” to get a negative reaction from Hamas to the latest proposal.
“I can't honestly say I'm confident we'll be successful, but it won't be for lack of trying,” Burns said. “And I do know the alternatives are worse.”
He said America's competition with China was broad and crossed many domains, including space, technology and cyber security.
Speaking on Wednesday to Pittsburgh steelworkers, Biden said he would urge U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to triple Chinese steel and aluminum tariffs from their current rate of 7.5 percent.
Burns said he believed Xi was “determined in the course of his political life to control Taiwan.”
“[That] it doesn't mean he's planning to invade tomorrow or next month or next year, but it does mean we have to take that ambition very seriously,” he said.
Burns warned that China and Russia were working “more closely together now than at any time in my memory,” adding that deepening the partnership was a “significant challenge” for the United States.
The phenomenon of transnational repression by autocratic nations such as Russia, China and Iran reaching out to “kill or intimidate” activists outside their own borders was a major problem, he said.
“It's a growing challenge and it's an intelligence service that we take very seriously,” Burns said.
Burns also addressed the challenges of technological advances, including ubiquitous surveillance, as well as the benefits of strategic declassification of intelligence. He addressed “duty to warn” responsibilities and called on intelligence agencies to provide warnings when civilian lives were at stake, citing the recent terrorist attacks in Russia and Iran.
“We, the US government, provided quite accurate information to the Russian services about what we could see was an imminent terrorist attack by ISIS against, you know, a fairly large entertainment center in Moscow. And, already you know, you should ask the Russian services … why didn't they pay more attention to it, why didn't they act on it.”
