CIA Director Warns: Support for Ukraine Critical as Ammunition Dwindles

At the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, which focused on the latest global threats intelligence report, the CIA director painted a grim picture of the situation in Ukraine. He stressed that Congress's failure to approve the aid package would be a historical blunder.

The Senate has already passed the aid package for Ukraine, and prospects are high for the House of Representatives to do the same. However, the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has yet to bring the package to a vote.

William Burns, the CIA director, described the situation as "at a crossroads," with Congress facing a crucial decision. He referred to Ukraine's loss of Avdiivka in Donbas as a case in point.

"The Ukrainians fought as long as they could, but eventually, they ran out of ammunition, and the Russians were relentless. I fear that without additional support in 2024, we might see the loss of more areas like Avdiivka. That would be a profound and historic mistake by the United States," Burns, who recently visited Ukraine, stated.

"Ukrainians lack neither courage nor determination. It's ammunition they are short of. And for us, the United States, time is running out to help them," he further emphasized.

The CIA director highlighted that Russia appears uninterested in engaging in serious negotiations.

"The Russians might be interested in the facade of negotiations, but they don't seem to truly engage in the process," he observed. For genuine talks to occur, "we need to assist the Ukrainians in showing Putin that he's wrong to think time is on his side," he added.

Burns also pointed out that abandoning Ukraine would not go unnoticed by China, warning that the repercussions of such a move would affect the entire Indo-Pacific region.