The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency sees no sign of Russia’s readiness to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. But such a possibility should not be taken lightly, says Bill Burns.
According to US Central Intelligence Agency director William Burns, Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to continue the war in Ukraine because he does not believe he can be defeated.
The Russian occupiers failed to capture Kyiv and they found it difficult to advance into the Donbas, but Putin did not change his mind that his forces could defeat the Ukrainians, Burns said, while speaking at an event organized by the Financial Times.
Burns, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2005-2008, said U.S. intelligence services currently see “no practical evidence” of Moscow’s plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons.
CIA: Putin is not crazy
However, according to him, such a possibility should not be taken lightly, “given the saber-rattling that we heard from the Russian leadership.”
The CIA leader did not analyze the current situation on the battlefield or predict how the war would end. But he noted that China, which Washington now sees as its main rival, is closely studying the lessons of the war and what it means for Beijing’s desire to control Taiwan.
At the same time, according to Burns, Chinese President Xi Jinping has not abandoned his goal of uniting Taiwan with China.
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Source: korrespondent
