CIA chief secretly traveled to Ukraine in early October – media reports
William Burns met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in Kyiv (Photo:avay_entezar/Twitter)
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns traveled to Ukraine earlier in October to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials, CNN reported on Oct. 26, with reference to two sources familiar with the trip.
“While there, he reinforced the U.S. commitment to provide support to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, including continued intelligence sharing,” a U.S. official told CNN.
According to journalists, Burns’ trip came as the United States has grown increasingly concerned that Russia may turn to using nuclear weapons in an attempt to turn the tide in its failing war.
Burns and other U.S. officials have said publicly that they see no evidence that Moscow is actively preparing to take such a step, but officials familiar with the intelligence warn that the risk is perhaps the highest it has been since Russia invaded in February.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Oct. 23 held phone talks with his French, British and Turkish counterparts. Shoigu expressed “concern” to all three colleagues that Ukraine was allegedly preparing false flag attacks with the use of a “dirty bomb” – referring to a nuclear weapon that functions more to spread deadly radioactive material than to cause explosive damage.
Later, Shoigu also called the defense ministers of China and India with the same unsubstantiated claims.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba then held talks with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who agreed to send experts to Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, where – according to Russian propaganda – a “dirty bomb” is being developed.
Ukraine’s partners emphasized they do not believe Russian claims but expressed concern that this could be part of Russia’s preparations for false flag operations.
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