CIA Director William Burns delivered a warning message to lawmakers in DC, emphasizing the urgency of approving aid to Ukraine to prevent potential loss in the war against Russia.
“This is really a question of whether or not our adversaries understand our reliability and determination, and whether our allies and partners understand that as well,” he said.
Burns stressed that with military assistance, Ukraine could hold its ground through 2024, challenging Russia’s recent advances and potential upcoming summer offensive.
However, without this aid, he said there is a significant risk of Ukrainian defeat and “the picture is a lot more dire.”
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 13 that the front-line situation had "significantly deteriorated in recent days," as Russian troops gradually advance towards Chasiv Yar.
According to Burns, if Congress does not approve funding, it could “put Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement.”
Burns’ comments come as the U.S. House is set to vote on a series of foreign aid bills on April 20. The legislation, if passed, will allocate $61 billion to Ukraine - mostly in the form of defense support. Also, the bill includes a provision about the Biden administration transferring long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine “as soon as practicable.”
Martin Fornusek
