“Discontent over the war will continue to eat away at Russian leadership, apart from state propaganda and repression. This adversity presents a unique opportunity for us, the CIA and our human intelligence service,” Burns said during a session on the United Kingdom, US television channel CNN reported. .
In particular, Burns referred to a recent initiative published on the popular Russian social network Telegram, which taught Russians how to safely contact the CIA and which registered 2.5 million views in just one week.
“We are open for business,” the official said.
Burns recently traveled to Ukraine, where he met with local intelligence officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US officials confirmed Friday.
The trip came as Ukrainian forces continued their counter-offensive launched against Russian forces in June in the east and south of the country.
On that occasion, Burns reaffirmed the “American commitment to share information to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression,” said a US government official who spoke to AFP news agency on condition of anonymity.
According to The Washington Post, Ukrainian leaders have presented plans to retake Russian-held territories and begin negotiations by the end of this year.
According to the newspaper, the trip took place in June.
The US official added that Burns “has been traveling to Ukraine, as he has done regularly since the beginning, more than a year ago, since the recent Russian aggression”.
The displacement occurred before the 24-hour uprising led by the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on June 24, the person responsible said.
The uprising, considered the most serious threat to the Kremlin’s authority in decades, “was not a topic of discussion,” the same source said.
The United States chose to vehemently convey to Russia that they were not involved in the uprising.
Most US media reported on Friday that following the Wagner Group mutiny, Burns called Serguei Narychkine, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), to assure him that the US was not involved.
The Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, stated in an interview published Friday by The Washington Post that the shortage of weapons, especially fighter jets, was limiting the Ukrainian counter-offensive.
On Tuesday, the United States announced a new package of $500 million (460 million euros) to support the counteroffensive, aid that includes ammunition for anti-aircraft guns and armored vehicles.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
Source: DN
