CIA Director William Burns reportedly held a secret meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev last week to brief him on US intelligence that possibly forecasts Russia's next plans in its special military operation.
Citing US officials and other people familiar with the matter, the Washington Post reported late Thursday that Burns briefed Zelensky on what the United States believes are Russia's next military moves in Ukraine in the coming weeks and months.
Zelensky is reportedly primarily concerned about how long the United States is expected to provide military assistance to Ukraine after Republicans, who have been critical about continuing providing such aid, took over the House of Representatives after the November midterm elections.
Also of concern to the Ukrainian leader was the decreasing support among the US public for continued military aid. In fact, a December 2022 poll found that support among Republican-identifying Americans remain divided over whether the Biden White House should continue aid.
Burns warned Zelensky it is possible US military assistance may be difficult to acquire at some point in the future, underscoring that the next few weeks and months on the battlefield will be critical, the report said.
Sources familiar with the meeting relayed to the outlet that Zelensky and his aides felt as though the support of the Biden administration remained intact, and that already approved military aid would last through August at the latest.
The CIA allegedly declined to disclose details of Burns' meeting with Zelensky last week.
Earlier on Thursday, the United States announced a new military assistance package for Ukraine with $2.5 billion worth of weapons and ammunition. The package includes munitions for NASAMS air defense systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). The package also includes dozens of Bradley and Stryker armored combat vehicles and eight Avengers air defense systems.
On Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda said during remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos said Russia may launch a new offensive in the coming weeks or months, underscoring that this period will be crucial in determining whether Ukraine will survive the conflict. Duda said the current military assistance sent to Ukraine is not enough, adding that more advanced tanks and missiles must also be provided.
During a secret meeting in Kyiv with CIA Director William Burns earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was especially focused on the prospect of future US assistance in the ongoing war effort and whether or not Republican lawmakers in the House will continue to provide spending, according to The Washington Post.
Anonymous sources told the outlet that Burns traveled to the Ukrainian capital at the end of last week to meet with Zelenskyy and discuss the agency's forecast of Russia's imminent military plans. The visit comes nearly one year after Russia launched an unprovoked war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Burns' trip coincides with mounting casualties on both sides as a Russian assault in the east has forced Ukraine to respond while it simultaneously tried to conserve weapons and bodies for a future counteroffensive.
During the Kyiv meeting last week, Zelenskyy and his senior intelligence officials were most concerned about ongoing US aid, sources told The Post, asking Burns how long Ukraine could expect the assistance to continue in the aftermath of Republicans taking control of the House and diminishing support for the war among the US electorate.
Burns reportedly responded by acknowledging that additional aid will likely become harder to obtain in the future, according to the newspaper, while still emphasizing the weight of the current fight on the battlefield
Neither the CIA nor the State Department immediately responded to Insider's request for comment.
Despite the uncertain nature of ongoing assistance, Zelenskyy left his meeting with Burns assured that the Biden administration remains supportive of Ukraine's plight, The Post reported, citing people familiar with the gathering.
The $45 billion aid package that Congress approved for Ukraine in December is expected to last through July or August, Zelenskyy said, according to the outlet, but questions remain around whether Congress would consider passing another such package.
Many Republican lawmakers have rallied for less spending toward the foreign war, and the party took control of the House of Representatives earlier this month.
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