- CIA Director William Burns said Russia’s military mobilization won’t be enough to help them win the war.
- Putin ordered a “partial military mobilization” to bring in an extra 300,000 troops as the war persists.
- His military has a lot of other problems, “manpower is only one of them,” Burns told CBS News.
CIA Director William Burns argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “partial military mobilization” won’t substantially improve Russia’s position in the war.
“Even if he’s able to mobilize 300,000 troops, it’s not as if throwing people like cannon fodder toward the front, many of whom are not gonna be well-trained, many of whom are not going to have the kind of equipment that they need or the logistical support that they need as well” will improve the military’s position. “His military has a lot of other problems, manpower is only one of them,” Burns said to CBS News‘ Norah O’Donnell on Tuesday.
Putin has become increasingly involved in the war efforts as he seemingly begins to lose his grasp on the conflict. Ukrainian troops took the region of Kharkiv back from Russian troops, prompting many to retreat and disguise themselves amongst the local population, and the Russian military seems to be losing numbers and facing low morale.
Putin since ordered a “partial military mobilization,” attempting to bring in an additional 300,000 troops to the conflict in Ukraine. Some of those who have been called in the draft are making attempts to avoid going into the conflict, while others seek safety abroad.
Putin has also threatened nuclear warfare, which US and UK officials say points to his failing attempt to conquer Ukraine.
When asked about Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons, Burns said there hasn’t been proof of an “imminent threat” yet, but his language must still be taken with weight.
“We have to take very seriously his kind of threats given everything that’s at stake, and the rhetoric that he and other senior Russian leaders have used is reckless and deeply irresponsible,” Burns told O’Donnell.
“It’s very hard to say at this point, and as I said, what we have to do is take it very seriously, watch for signs of actual preparations,” he added.
Burns said two weeks after the start of the war that Putin continues to be incorrect about how the war will play out.
Putin, Burns said to the House Select Intelligence Committee in March, thought “Russia faced a favorable landscape for the use of force against Ukraine.”
“He’s been proven wrong on every count,” he added. “Those assumptions have proven to be profoundly flawed over the last 12 days of conflict.”
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