“Putin can’t lose”

William Burns, head of the U.S. Secret Service, views Putin’s new war tactics in the Donbass as dangerous and warns of a possible breakdown with China.

WASHINGTON, DC – The US State Intelligence Service (CIA) expects that instead of ending the war in Ukraine soon, Russia’s ruler Vladimir Putin will be able to redouble its military efforts to attack the neighboring country. CIA President William Burns told the Financial Times on Saturday (May 7) in the US capital.

Burns stressed and justified the attacks on the Donbass as “minimally dangerous” or “even more dangerous” when Ukraine was attacked by Russian troops in several places, compared to the first phase of the war. Mainly due to the attitude of the Russian president: Putin is now in a state of mind in which he “does not believe he can not lose”.

Ukraine war: CIA leader burns at Russia’s war tactics and Putin’s big mistakes

In the second phase of the war, which Burns describes as “the most ugly and brutal attack on the Ukrainian people,” Putin is in a lot of danger. Putin is currently trying to learn from the mistakes of the first eight weeks of the war and to correct his military tactics. According to Burns, a decision will be made in the coming weeks on whether Russia can be satisfied with its goal of capturing the Donbass in southeastern Ukraine or eventually try to invade other parts of Ukraine, such as Odessa or Kiev. .

At this point, it remains to be seen whether the Russian military will cope with the unexpectedly strong opposition in Ukraine. So far, international observers have described the progress of the Russian war as “sluggish” and “slow.” From the outset, the main mistake made by Russian troops was to overestimate Ukraine.

The role of the US Secret Service in the Ukraine war: No indication of the use of nuclear weapons

As Burns insists, this also applies to the general opinion of the Ukrainian secret service and should not be underestimated. U.S. officials have never confirmed rumors that the U.S. Secret Service aided and abetted several attacks on the Russian military. Speaking at the Financial Times event, Burns did not comment on the matter.

When asked if Putin’s intelligence expects Putin to use nuclear weapons as the war progresses, Burns said intelligence services do not currently have conclusive evidence. However, the opportunity to use such weapons should not be taken lightly.

Ukraine war: CIA chief Burns expects Russia-China alliance to weaken

According to Burns, there are actually first signs of a slight weakening of good relations between Russia and China. The last ten to eleven weeks of the Ukraine war also had a warning effect on the Chinese government under Xi Jinping. While the latter is still determined to work closely with Russia, it also shows the first signs of “uncertainty”.

According to Burns, China’s current events in Ukraine, from the massive protests of the Ukrainian people to the united reaction of the West, have repeatedly pointed to “clear lessons that China is paying close attention to,” particularly the potential attack on Taiwan. At. A potential damage to China’s reputation could be a factor for Xi, which could further weaken its alliance with Russia. (SCO)