CIA Director William Burns said on Tuesday that Ukraine is facing a test of staying power. Against Russia and if the US cuts support to Kiev, it would be a mistake of “historic proportions”.
One Comment published in Foreign AffairsBurns wrote it Russian President Vladimir Putin He is betting that time is on his side, that he can “crush Ukraine and bring down its Western allies.”
But Burns argued that “the key to success is to maintain Western aid to Ukraine.”
Adding up to less than 5% of the US defense budget, aid to Ukraine is a “relatively modest investment with significant geopolitical payoff for the US and substantial payoff for American industry,” writes Burns.
Continuing to supply arms to Ukraine would give the Kiev government a stronger hand in possible peace negotiations and strengthen its prospects of winning in the long run, a strategic loss for Ukraine. RussiaBurns said.
“It would be a personal goal of historic proportions for the United States to withdraw from the conflict and cut off support for Ukraine at this crucial moment,” he wrote.
Whether the US continues or withdraws aid to Ukraine will send a clear message to China, he said.
“No one is watching US support for Ukraine more closely than Chinese leaders,” Burns wrote.
Referring to the war between Israel and Hamas, Burns, a former career diplomat, said the Middle East was in an unstable, “explosive” state.
“I have worked in and around the Middle East for most of the last four decades and I have rarely seen it more tangled or explosive,” he said.
But he said it was vital to achieve a “lasting peace” that would establish a Palestinian state, ensure Israel’s security and normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
Burns also said that the key to security for Israel and the region is “dealing with Iran.”
“The Iranian regime is emboldened by the crisis and appears ready to fight to the last regional representative, while expanding its nuclear program and enabling Russian aggression.”