CIA director says cutting off U.S. aid to Ukraine would be a mistake of 'historic proportions'
CIA Director William Burns said Tuesday that Ukraine faces a test of staying power against Russia and that if the U.S. cut off support for Kyiv it would be a mistake of “historic proportions.”
CIA Director William Burns said Tuesday that Ukraine faces a test of staying power against Russia and that if the U.S. cut off support for Kyiv it would be a mistake of “historic proportions.”
In a commentary published in Foreign Affairs, Burns wrote that Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting that time is on his side, “that he can grind down Ukraine and wear down its Western supporters.”
But Burns argued that “the key to success lies in preserving Western aid for Ukraine.”
Adding up to less than 5% of the U.S. defense budget, the aid to Ukraine represents “a relatively modest investment with significant geopolitical returns for the United States and notable returns for American industry,” Burns wrote.
Keeping up arms deliveries to Ukraine would give the government in Kyiv a stronger hand for any possible peace talks and bolster the prospects of Ukraine’s winning in the long term while inflicting a strategic loss for Russia, Burns said.
Rating: 5