Kyiv recently hosted Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns, his second secret trip to Kyiv in just over two months, according to reports.
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"Director Burns traveled to Kyiv where he met with Ukrainian intelligence counterparts, as well as President Zelensky, and reinforced our continued support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression," a U.S. official told The Washington Post.
The U.S. paper wrote that Burns briefed Zelensky on what the United States believes Russia is planning in the coming weeks and months.
For Zelensky and representatives of Ukrainian intelligence, the main issue of the meeting was how long Ukraine would be able to count on military assistance from the United States and Western countries after the Republicans won a majority in the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress.
Burns stressed the urgency of the moment on the battlefield and acknowledged that at some point, assistance would be harder to get, the sources said.
However, according to those familiar with the discussion, even after this meeting, Zelensky and his aides were still reassured that support for Kyiv from the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden remains strong and that the $45 billion in emergency funding for Ukraine passed by Congress in December would last at least through July or August.
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The exact date of Burns’ trip has not been disclosed but it comes at a critical time, with spring offensives expected from both sides and signs that the Kremlin is planning for a long and drawn-out war.
Friday will also see an announcement from the Ramstein meeting in which Ukraine is hoping Germany will finally give its permission for countries to send Kyiv Leopard 2 heavy tanks.
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