CIA Director William Burns recently traveled to Ukraine, where he met with intelligence officials and President Volodymyr Zelensky, a US official confirmed Friday, France Press reported Saturday.
CIA Director William BurnsPhoto: SOPA Images / ddp USA / Profimedia
The visit, which was not made public at the time, came as Ukrainian forces continued a counteroffensive launched in June against Russian forces in the east and south of the country.
On the occasion, Burns reaffirmed “the U.S. commitment to sharing information that will help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression,” the U.S. official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
According to the US newspaper The Washington Post, which first reported on the trip, Ukrainian leaders presented plans to retake territories occupied by Russian forces and begin ceasefire talks by the end of the year.
The newspaper added that the move took place in June.
According to the U.S. official, Burns “traveled to Ukraine, as he has done regularly since the start of Russia’s latest occupation, for more than a year.”
The official said the trip came ahead of a 24-hour uprising on June 24 led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian Wagner paramilitary group. The insurgency, considered the biggest threat to Kremlin power in recent decades, “is not a topic of discussion,” he said.
It tried to make it clear to Russia that the US had no role in the insurgency.
Much of the US media reported on Friday that after the uprising, Burns called Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s foreign intelligence services (SVR), to assure him that the US was not involved. (Agerpress)
“Evil gamer. Amateur music trailblazer. Alcohol geek. Problem solver. Coffee advocate. Troublemaker. Infuriatingly humble zombieaholic.”