manager said US Central Intelligence Agency “CIA” William Burns said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin believed that an escalation of the military conflict in Ukraine would improve what he could get from the war.
“He’s in such a state of mind that he doesn’t think he can afford to lose,” Burns said, speaking at an event for the Financial Times in Washington. “I think he’s still convinced that escalating the war will enable him to make progress.”
Pro-Russian forces in Donetsk, Ukraine
Burns also announced that the CIA had no indication that Russia is preparing to use tactical nuclear weapons In the conflict in Ukraine.
“We don’t see at this point, as an intelligence service, concrete evidence that Russia is preparing to deploy or even potentially use tactical nuclear weapons,” Burns said, but added, “We cannot underestimate these possibilities.”
He continued, “Therefore, as an intelligence service, we remain very focused … on these possibilities at this time when the Russian stakes are very high.”
Russia developed Nuclear deterrent forces on high alert Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24. Putin also made tacit threats indicating his willingness to deploy tactical nuclear weapons.
Putin warned of a “very quick” response if the West intervened directly in the Ukraine conflict.
Russian nuclear missile test (archive)
Observers say that in recent days, Russian state television has made the use of nuclear weapons more acceptable to the public.
In another context, Burns cautioned that China is following “closely” the war in Ukraine, and will likely take lessons from this conflict to adapt its plans to control Taiwan.
“It is clear that Chinese leaders are trying to closely identify the lessons that they can take from Ukraine regarding their ambitions in Taiwan,” Burns said, noting that they have not given up on this goal.
He added that the Chinese leadership was shocked by the fierce Ukrainian resistance to the Russians and the economic price paid by Russia. He continued, “These are things that they are studying very carefully.”
He added, “I think they were especially shocked by how NATO united to impose economic prices on Russia in response to its aggression.”
He added that China was “disturbed by Putin’s bringing the Europeans and Americans closer,” and he also said, “As for the conclusions they came up with, this remains a question mark.”
In Burns’ view, Chinese leaders are looking at the “cost and ramifications” of a possible use of force to gain control of Taiwan.