| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| CIA director: Putin too confident he can grind down Ukraine |
| 2023-02-26 |
| Wilmington, Del. (AP) — As the war in Ukraine enters its second year, CIA Director William Burns said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being "too confident" in his military’s ability to grind Ukraine into submission. Burns, in a television interview, said the head of Russia’s intelligence services had displayed in their November meeting "a sense of cockiness and hubris" that reflected Putin’s own beliefs "that he can make time work for him, that he believes he can grind down the Ukrainians that he can wear down our European allies, that political fatigue will eventually set in." That conversation, in which Burns warned of the consequences if Russia were to deploy a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, was "pretty dispiriting," Burns said. Burns said he judged Putin as "quite determined" to continue prosecuting the war, despite the casualties, tactical shortcomings and economic and reputational damage to Russia. "I think Putin is, right now, entirely too confident of his ability ... to wear down Ukraine," Burns told CBS’ "Face the Nation" in an interview that aired Sunday. Burns said that "at some point, he’s going to have to face up to increasing costs as well, in coffins coming home to some of the poorest parts of Russia," where he said many of the conscripts "being thrown as cannon fodder" are from. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #3 some people may figure its better to die fighting at home than be shipped off hundreds of miles to die. Sometimes by the hand of some Chechen 'enforcement battalion' member. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2023-02-26 17:03 |
| #2 "..coffins coming home to some of the poorest parts of Russia," where he said many of the conscripts "being thrown as cannon fodder" At a certain point, some people may figure its better to die fighting at home than be shipped off hundreds of miles to die. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2023-02-26 13:47 |
| #1 Good analytic calls from Burns on both Putin and Iran. Someone appears to finally be paying attention in the analytic cell. Have to honestly say, I am encouraged. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2023-02-26 13:20 |