Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States, William Burns, said on March 9 at hearings in the special committee on intelligence of the House of Representatives of the Congress on intelligence about the situation in Ukraine. He noted that the next six months will be critical.
“The next few months, 4-5-6 months, will be critical in the situation in Ukraine. I think any prospects for serious negotiations <…> will depend on the situation on the battlefield,” he said, adding that Russia was not yet ready for negotiations.
Burns spoke in favor of providing all kinds of support to Kyiv, which is what the United States and its Western allies are doing. He also stressed the importance of taking into account Ukraine’s long-term security needs.
A month ago, at a conference at Georgetown University, the head of the CIA also argued that the next six months would be key for the further development of the situation in Ukraine. Then he said: Russia has made a bet that the weakening of the interest of the West and “political fatigue” can give its military a new chance to succeed on the battlefield. Burns argued that the Russian side intends to force time to play for itself.
“It seems to us that the clue will be on the battlefield in the next six months,” he was quoted as saying. CBS News.
On March 9, retired USMC intelligence officer Scott Ritter suggested that Russia could soon deprive Ukraine of access to the Black Sea by creating a land bridge. In his opinion, after Odessa, battles for the territory to Transnistria will begin.
On March 2, Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council committee on international affairs, admitted that if Washington and NATO countries stop intensively arming the Kiev regime with modern weapons, then it can be assumed that the conflict could end quickly.
The special operation to protect Donbass, the beginning of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
