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Speaking at a joint public event in London on 7 September, CIA Director William Burns and MI6 Chief Richard Moore discussed the implications of Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russian territory. US and UK intelligence chiefs have praised Ukraine’s recent offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, describing it as a “significant tactical achievement” that has exposed Russian vulnerabilities.
According to AP, speaking alongside Burns, Moore stated that the offensive was “typically audacious and bold on the part of the Ukrainians, to try and change the game.” He added that it had “brought the war home to ordinary Russians.”
Burns said the incursion was a “significant tactical achievement” that had revealed vulnerabilities in the Russian military.
“None of us should take lightly the risks of [Russia’s nuclear] escalation,” Burns said at a Financial Times event, according to NBC News. “There was a moment in the fall of 2022 when I think there was a genuine risk of […] the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons.”
CIA chief Burns said that at the end of 2022, President Biden had sent him to speak with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Naryshkin, to clearly communicate the consequences of such escalation, according to Daily Mail. He visited Moscow in November 2022.
Despite this risk, both Burns and Moore urged Western allies not to be intimidated by Russian threats of escalation.
“I don’t think we can afford to be intimidated by that saber-rattling or bullying, but we’ve got to be mindful of it,” Burns added.
Moore said,
“Nobody in the West is going to be intimidated by such talk or any other behavior by the Russian state, because we all recognize we’ve got to stay in this and we have to try and help the Ukrainians to restore their independence and sovereignty.”
According to AP, both Burns and Moore emphasized the need for continued Western support for Ukraine, stating that “staying the course” in backing Ukraine’s fight against Russia was more important than ever. They warned that the world order was “under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the Cold War.”
Russian sabotage in Europe
Burns and Moore highlighted the importance of the trans-Atlantic relationship in facing “an unprecedented array of threats,” including Russia’s “reckless campaign of sabotage” across Europe.
Moore described the Russian intelligence service as having “gone a bit feral,” acting in an increasingly desperate and reckless manner.
The intelligence chiefs’ remarks came ahead of a meeting between US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington, where Ukraine and other global issues are expected to be discussed.