CIA Director William J. Burns believes that Ukraine could be defeated on the battlefield by the end of the year if the US Congress does not approve aid. He said this during a speech to lawmakers at the George W. Bush Presidential Centre, Politico reports.
The director of one of the most important US intelligence agencies called on congressmen to approve an additional programme to provide support to Ukraine. He added that the Ukrainians were able to hold out until 2024, in part thanks to military assistance, and also destroyed the "arrogant idea" Vladimir Putin that time was on his side.
But "the picture will be more dire" without new aid, Burns said.
"There is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could lose on the battlefield by the end of 2024, or at least put Putin in a position where he can essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement," the CIA chief said.
Supporting Ukraine now is about more than the war with Russia, Burns argued during the event.
"It's also about Xi Jinping in China, his ambitions, and our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. It's really a question of whether our adversaries understand our credibility and resolve, and whether our allies and partners understand that as well," he added.