Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in an interview with CNN that CIA chief William Burns made an unannounced visit to Ukraine in June.
He said he was surprised that Burns' confidential trip was leaked to the media. Zelensky stressed that his communication with the CIA "should always be behind the scenes." During such visits, "important matters" are discussed – what his country needs and how it will act in the future.
The President of Ukraine also said that the authorities of his country "have no secrets from the CIA." During the current meeting, Zelenskiy briefed Burns on "all the important battlefield stuff that we need."
Earlier, The Washington Post wrote , citing its sources, that during the June visit of the head of the CIA to Ukraine, he was presented with a plan to return the occupied territories and start negotiations with the Russian Federation on a ceasefire by the end of 2023.
It was reported that, according to this plan, the Armed Forces of Ukraine should recapture territories in the south of Ukraine up to the Crimean border and install artillery and missile systems there. Having thus created a threat to Russian troops on the peninsula, as well as to the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, Ukraine allegedly intends to abandon the forceful return of Crimea and start negotiations with Russia on a ceasefire.