CIA Director William Burns secretly visited Kyiv in mid-January to brief President Volodymyr Zelensky on Russia's plans for the near future. This was reported by The Washington Post, citing sources familiar with the meeting.
According to the publication, during the meeting, Burns and Zelensky primarily discussed how long the United States could provide assistance to Ukraine. Burns acknowledged that there would be problems with that at some point. Despite this, it is emphasized that Zelensky left the negotiations with the confidence that Washington's support would remain strong. The Ukrainian side is also confident that the latest aid package adopted by the United States will last at least until July or August. The only thing that raises doubts is whether Ukraine should expect the next one.
According to WP, Burns is a well-respected figure in the Office of the President, as he gave an accurate warning about the Russian advance. In January 2022, he informed the Ukrainian side that at the beginning of the war, the Russian army would seek the Kyiv Antonov airport. It is believed that, thanks to Burns, Ukraine was able to prepare him for defense against Russia and prevented the capture of Kyiv.