The CIA Director recently visited Ukraine. The US was not involved in the Wagner rebellion
CIA Director William Burns recently visited Ukraine where he met with intelligence officials and President Volodimir Zelenski, a US official confirmed Friday, France Presse reported Saturday, cited by Agerpres.
The visit, which was not made public at the time, came as Ukrainian forces continued their counter-offensive launched in June in the east and south of the country against Russian forces.
On the occasion, Burns reaffirmed "the US commitment to share intelligence to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression," the US official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
According to the US daily The Washington Post, which first reported on the trip, Ukrainian leaders outlined plans to retake territory occupied by Russian forces and begin ceasefire negotiations by the end of the year.
The trip took place in June, the newspaper added.
According to the US official, Burns "travelled to Ukraine, as he has done regularly since the start of Russia's recent aggression more than a year ago."
The trip took place before the 24-hour rebellion led on 24 June by the head of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the official said. The uprising, seen as the biggest threat to the Kremlin's authority in decades, "was not a topic of discussion," he said.
The United States has tried to make clear to Russia that it played no role in the rebellion.
Most US media reported on Friday that Burns telephoned Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin after the rebellion to assure him that the United States was not involved.
Ukrainian army commander-in-chief Valery Zaluyiny said in an interview published Friday by the Washington Post that the lack of weapons, especially fighter jets, is limiting the Ukrainian counter-offensive.
On Tuesday, the United States announced $500 million in new aid to support the counteroffensive, including air defence ammunition and armoured vehicles.
Meanwhile, the UK Ministry of Defence said Ukrainian forces are "almost certainly" repositioned on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, south of Herson, reports digi24.ro.
In its daily update on Saturday, the ministry said that fighting had intensified on the eastern bank since 27 June and that Russia had "most likely redeployed" elements of the Dnieper Force Group to "reinforce the Zaporozhye sector". Fighting around the bridgehead is almost certainly complicated by "flooding, destruction and residual mud" from the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam earlier this month, the ministry added.
