Russia CIA chief Burns pays a farewell visit to Ukraine
The outgoing director of the US foreign intelligence agency CIA, William Burns, was received by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a farewell visit to Kiev. "We have met many times during this war, and I am grateful for his support," Selenskyj wrote on the X platform.
21.12.2024, 21:52
SDA
"Bill, I wish you and your family all the best," he bid the American farewell. "We will surely meet again, and we will surely see this war end with a real and lasting peace."
Burns (68), a top diplomat, has served in the USA under Democratic and Republican administrations - including as ambassador to Russia and later as Deputy Secretary of State. As head of the CIA, he visited Moscow in November 2021 and returned convinced that Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin would attack Ukraine. US intelligence on the Russian troop build-up helped Kiev to be prepared for the invasion in February 2022.
In the fall of 2022, the US believed it saw signs of a possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia in Ukraine. Burns met his Russian counterpart Sergei Naryshkin in Istanbul and warned Moscow against such an escalation.
US President-elect Donald Trump wants to appoint his confidant John Ratcliffe as CIA Director. The former congressman from Texas is currently co-chairman of a conservative think tank close to Trump and served as intelligence coordinator during the Republican's first term in office. At the time, the Democrats accused Ratcliffe of abusing his position for political purposes, among other things. His nomination still has to be confirmed by the Senate.
