CIA Director Bill Burns visits Ukraine to warn about Russian offensive

The director of the Central Intelligence Agency visited Ukraine recently to brief President Volodymyr Zelensky on the possibility of a coming Russian offensive according to reporting from the Washington Post. 

“Director Burns traveled to Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian intelligence counterparts as well as President Zelensky and reinforced our continued support for Ukraine and its defense against Russian aggression,” according to an anonymous official. 

This wasn’t the first trip Burns has made to Ukraine since the war began in February of 2020 according to the New York Times. 

“Since just before the invasion,” wrote Julian Barnes, “Mr. Burns has made periodic visits to Ukraine to meet with intelligence officials and to convey information to Mr. Zelensky.”

Burns has been an invaluable resource for Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion and was largely credited with providing the country with key intelligence that helped Ukrainian forces in the early days of the war. 

“News reports say he notified Ukrainian officials that Russia’s invasion plan included trying to seize the Hostomel airfield north of Kyiv in an effort to quickly seize the Ukrainian capital,” according to Radio Free Europe.

If true, then the information Burns shared may have helped disrupt Russian plans to capture Kiyv within the first three days of the war. 

Burns also reportedly visited Ukraine in early October to share more key information according to reports from CNN. 

“While there, he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, including continued intelligence sharing,” an unnamed U.S. official told CNN.

Burns' most recent visit may indicate that rumors of a coming Russia offensive are true, which could spell disaster for Ukraine depending on how hard they get hit and when it happens. 

The Hill reported on January 18th that Russian forces were likely preparing to launch a major attack in the spring. 

“After facing a string of setbacks nearly a year into its war on Ukraine,” wrote Brad Dress, “Russia is planning another major offensive to make up for its losses on the ground and justify its heavy human cost at home.”

“Intelligence analysts and researchers largely agree there is an offensive brewing in Moscow, likely to come sometime in the winter or early spring,” Dress added. 

Even if the rumors of a renewed offensive are true, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky doesn’t seem to be worried. 

“We have no doubt that the current masters of Russia will throw everything they have left and everyone they can muster to try to turn the tide of the war and at least postpone their defeat,” Zelensky said in an address to his people earlier in January. 

Neither Zelensky nor his administration has commented on Burns' visit, but it comes at a crucial time in the war. One where Russian forces need to make a major move but could be stymied by the ever-increase shipment of more advanced arms to Ukraine.