Breaking News >> News >> The Courier Mail

Intelligence Officials Testify Before House Committee on ‘Unprovoked War’ in Ukraine

Link [2022-03-08 22:54:05]

CIA Director William Burns spoke to lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, March 8, regarding Russia’s “tragic invasion of Ukraine” and the ongoing threats to America’s national security. Burns appeared with Lt Gen Scott Berrier, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, to provide lawmakers with insight regarding Putin’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. “Putin is determined to control and dominate Ukraine to shape its orientation. This is a matter of deep personal conviction for him,” Burns said to the committee. “He’s been stewing in a combustible combination of grievance and ambition for many years.” Burns said Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine was the result of several assumptions that have since been proven wrong, among them that European countries would be distracted by local elections, and that his own military is more modern and effective than it has proven to be. “He’s been proven wrong on every count. Those assumptions have proven to be profoundly flawed in the last 12 days of conflict. President Zelensky … has risen to the moment and demonstrated courageous and remarkable leadership, and Ukrainians have resisted fiercely,” Burns said. “Putin has commented privately and publicly over the years that he doesn’t believe Ukraine’s a real country. Well, he’s dead wrong about that. Real countries fight back. And that’s what the Ukrainians have done quite heroically over the last 12 days … I think Putin is angry and frustrated right now. He’s likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties.” Burns said the challenge Putin faces is that he has “no sustainable political endgame” in the face of “fierce resistance” from Ukrainians. Lt Gen Berrier estimated “with low confidence” that between 2,000 and 4,000 Russian soldiers have been killed. Burns said the intelligence community expects Ukraine’s strong resistance to continue. Credit: CSPAN via Storyful