CIA Director Burns secretly visits Kyiv to tell Zelenskyy about Russia's plans

The Washington Post reported that a representative of the US administration and other knowledgeable sources informed the publication about Burns' secret visit to Kyiv. Its purpose was to discuss with the Ukrainian side Russia's possible future military plans. 

“Director Burns traveled to Kyiv where he met with Ukrainian intelligence counterparts as well as President Zelenskyy and reinforced our continued support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression,” a US official said.

The publication notes that during the meeting with Burns, Zelenskyy and representatives of Ukrainian intelligence were interested in how long Ukraine can count on the support of the United States and the West amid the Republicans gaining control of the House of Representatives. In turn, the US side confirmed that aid from the Biden administration will remain strong, and the USD 45 billion in emergency funding approved by Congress in December will last at least until July-August. However, according to sources familiar with the matter, Burns acknowledged that at some point help will be harder to come by.

However, the CIA representative refused to describe the details of the conversation between Burns and Zelenskyy regarding Russia's military planning.

The Washington Post also notes that Burns "is a respected figure" for Ukraine's leadership, since it was he who provided data to Ukraine about the Russian offensive plans. In particular, he warned that the Russian army would try to seize the Antonov airport in the first stage of the invasion.

• It was previously reported that CIA Director William Burns visited Ukraine in early October 2022 to meet with Zelenskyy and other officials.

• Burns was also visiting Kyiv during the massive missile attack on Ukraine on November 15.