According to him, two-thirds of Russia’s pre-war tank reserves were destroyed during the war, and a decade-long military modernization program was nullified.
«For most of the past two decades, I have been trying to understand the combustible combination of dissatisfaction, ambition, and insecurity embodied by the Russian president. I realized one thing: it would always be a mistake to underestimate his desire to control Ukraine and its choice. Without this control, in his opinion, Russia cannot be a great power, and he — a great Russian leader,» Burns believes.
According to the head of the CIA, this year will likely be «difficult on the battlefield in Ukraine.» Burns believes that Putin continues to bet that time is on his side and that he will be able to «crush Ukraine and wear out its Western supporters.» He mentioned that Russia is currently rebuilding its defense production with parts from China, as well as weapons and ammunition from Iran and North Korea.
«Ukraine’s task is to break Putin’s arrogance and demonstrate the high cost of continuing the conflict for Russia,» the head of the CIA writes.