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CIA Director William Burns offered a stark warning to lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Thursday: If you don’t approve aid to Ukraine now, Kyiv could lose the war by the end of the year.
Speaking at an event at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Burns urged lawmakers to pass the supplemental that would dedicate billions to Ukraine’s war efforts.
“With the boost that would come from military assistance, both practically and psychologically, Ukrainians are entirely capable of holding their own through 2024 and puncturing Putin’s arrogant view that time is on his side,” he said.
But if that doesn’t make it through Congress, “the picture is a lot more dire,” he continued. “There is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could lose on the battlefield by the end of 2024, or at least put Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement.”
It’s perhaps the strongest warning from a senior administration official yet regarding the war, coming as officials in Kyiv warn that a looming Russian offensive in the summer — which would see massive waves of troops invading Ukraine — could overwhelm Kyiv’s struggling soldiers.
Burns’ remarks come a day after House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled his highly-anticipated foreign aid package, which hangs in the balance as the speaker tries to secure the votes needed to tee up floor debate.
On Wednesday, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. C.Q. Brown told lawmakers that Ukraine’s “hard-fought gains can be lost without our support,” while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also warned that if the supplemental is delayed, allies and partners “will question whether or not … we are a reliable partner.”
President Joe Biden also said he strongly supports the bills released by Johnson. For months, the administration has said lawmakers’ inability to pass Ukraine aid is a major reason Kyiv’s is struggling on the battlefield.
Supporting Ukraine right now is about more than the war with Russia, Burns argued during the event.
“It’s also about Xi Jinping in China, his ambitions, and our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. “This is really a question of whether or not our adversaries understand our reliability and determination and whether our allies and partners understand that as well.”
Connor O’Brien contributed to this report.
