Russian President Vladimir Putin will doubtless not be deterred by the West's financial sanctions and his navy setbacks in Ukraine.
He'll, nevertheless, search to "escalate," his nation's aggression in the direction of Kyiv over the following few weeks, prime U.S. intelligence officers mentioned Tuesday.
A "aggrieved Putin" doubtless "perceives it as a warfare that he can't afford dropping," said Avril Haines (director of nationwide intelligence), who testified earlier than the Home Intelligence Group in an annual listening to on international threats.
She was joined by CIA director William Burns, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Cyber Command Commander and NSA director Basic Paul Nakasone. On Thursday, Protection Intelligence Company director Lieutenant Gen. Scott Berrier can even seem earlier than the Senate Intelligence Group.
Haines said that Moscow had confronted "considerably extra resistance from Ukraine" than it anticipated and that it might be "significantly troublesome" for Russia to regulate territory in Ukraine within the face of a "persistent, important insurgency."
Haines said that "he has no sustainable political ending sport within the face" of the navy's resistance to Ukraine.
Berrier, the Pentagon's chief of navy intelligence, said that Russia's navy suffered "someplace between 2000-4,000" casualties. This was a low-confidence evaluation he mentioned was primarily based on intelligence and open supply sources.
Burns, the CIA director mentioned that Putin had spent years stewing in a "flamable combination of grievances and ambition" and had begun a navy invasion primarily based upon a couple of flawed assumptions.
Burns said, "He is confirmed improper," noting that the Russian chief's views have "hardened" over time as he has change into "extra insulated from totally different factors of view."
Burns mentioned, nevertheless, that a "offended, annoyed" Putin would doubtless stick with it his navy marketing campaign with out a lot regard for civilian casualties.
He mentioned, "He's doubtless will double down and take a look at the grind down of the Ukrainian navy with none regard for civilian casualties," including that he was predicting "an unpleasant few weeks."
He mentioned that Xi Jinping, the Chinese language president, and different political leaders weren't "settled" by the occasions in Ukraine. This included how they'd drawn Europe nearer to america. Burns said that Beijing was turning into extra cautious of the "reputational harm," which its shut affiliation to Moscow may trigger.
Berrier predicted that Ukrainians would have much less meals and water than they should survive for "10 days to 2 week" if provide traces are minimize. He mentioned, "It is going to be considerably determined."
Haines said that U.S. intelligence businesses are monitoring "very carefully" any Russian strategic or nuclear weapon actions, and acknowledged that Putin's determination final month to extend alert was "extremely uncommon."
Haines said that "we're not seeing something at this stage that he is doing one thing totally different from he was previously." She mentioned that she believes he alerts, and is making an attempt to discourage.
The annual written report of the intelligence neighborhood, launched Tuesday, said that Russia "would not need a direct conflict with U.S forces," however thought of its nuclear capabilities vital for sustaining deterrence, and reaching its objectives in any potential battle towards america or NATO.
The report said that "It regards a reputable nuclear weapons protection as the final word guarantor for the Russian Federation."
Post a Comment