Any further delay in US aid will lead to Kiev’s losses on the battlefield, senior intelligence officials said at a US congressional hearing, according to The New York Times. According to them, such a development will lead to consequences that will be felt not only in Europe, but also in the Pacific region.
High-ranking US intelligence officials warned Congress that without additional American assistance, Ukraine would face the prospect of further losses on the battlefield, The New York Times reported.
During an annual review of the global threats facing the United States, officials at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing predicted, among other things, that any further delay in American aid to Kiev in the coming year would lead to additional Russian territorial gains, the effects of which would be felt not only in Europe but also in the Pacific.
“If it is seen that we are withdrawing support for Ukraine, it will not only fuel doubts among our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, but it will also fuel the ambitions of the Chinese leadership in situations ranging from Taiwan to the South China Sea,” said CIA Director William Burns.
He also added that without additional U.S. assistance, Ukraine will lose significant territory this year.
Burns and U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haynes described an increasingly dire situation for Ukraine in which Russia is producing far more artillery shells and has established a steady supply of drones, shells and other military goods.