CIA Director William Burns and MI6 Chief Richard Moore have stated that continued support for Ukraine is more important than ever.
Burns and Moore made this appeal in a Financial Times article today. This is the first-ever joint article by the heads of the CIA and MI6.
Two years ago, the CIA and MI6 celebrated 75 years of partnership.
The two intelligence agencies are jointly opposing Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive war in Ukraine, the article by Burns and Moore further states.
“Staying the course (regarding Ukraine) is more important than ever. (President) Putin will not succeed in destroying Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence,” the leaders wrote, emphasizing that their agencies will continue to assist Ukrainian intelligence.
Burns and Moore noted that they will continue to counter “Russia’s reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe” and Russia’s “cynical use of technology” to spread disinformation.
Burns and Moore also reorganized their agencies to address China’s rise, calling it “the primary intelligence and geopolitical challenge of the 21st century.”
The CIA and MI6, their leaders noted, are using their intelligence channels to achieve deterrence and de-escalation in the Middle East, working to halt the fighting in the Gaza Strip.
The Kursk Oblast Offensive is significant.
According to Burns, the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast is a “significant tactical achievement” for the Ukrainian army. He said the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ actions have exposed vulnerabilities in the Russian Army.
However, Moore refrained from assessing the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ offensive operation. It is “too early” to say how long the Ukrainian army will be able to hold the territories in Kursk Oblast under its control, Moore noted. The offensive has “brought the war into the homes of ordinary Russians,” added the head of the British intelligence service.
Kyiv: We’re not going to annex Russian territories.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have been conducting an offensive in Kursk Oblast since August 6th. By the end of August, according to its own data, the Ukrainian army controlled 1294 square kilometers of the region’s territory and 100 settlements.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv plans to hold these territories, calling such a position part of the “plan for victory” in the war. However, Kyiv is not going to annex these parts of Kursk Oblast, the Ukrainian leader noted.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the Ukrainian offensive legitimate. Kyiv did not inform the North Atlantic Alliance about its plans for an offensive in the Russian region, the NATO Secretary-General indicated.
