Zelenskyy explains why he met with CIA Director Burns in secret

Zelenskyy said this in an exclusive interview with CNN.

He noted that he was surprised when a number of media outlets reported on his meeting with Burns. According to him, his meetings with the CIA chief should be held in secret.

"My communication with the CIA chief should always be behind the scenes. We discuss important things – what Ukraine needs and how Ukraine is prepared to act," Zelenskyy said.

The president added that Ukraine has no secrets from the CIA, as they have good relations. He noted that Ukrainian and American intelligence agencies communicate with each other.

"The situation is pretty straightforward. We have good relations with the CIA chief and we are talking. I told him about all the important things related to the battlefield which we need," Zelenskyy said.

• On 1 July, The Washington Post reported that CIA Director William Burns had secretly visited Kyiv in early June 2023 to meet with Ukraine's political and military leadership.