At a public event in London they also called for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas.

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The newspaper La Jornada
Sunday, September 8, 2024, p. 23

London. The heads of the US and British intelligence agencies yesterday praised the bold Ukraine’s incursion into Russia and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. In an unprecedented joint appearance at a public event in London, William Burns, director of the US intelligence agency (CIA), and Richard Moore, head of the British intelligence office (MI6), said that the surprise Ukrainian incursion into Russia is a major achievement that could change the narrative of the two-and-a-half-year conflict and called for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas unleashed in the Gaza Strip.

Moore said the surprise offensive launched by Ukraine in August to capture territory in Russia’s Kursk region was typically bold and daring on the part of Ukrainians, to try to change the game. He stressed that the operation – which according to kyiv has achieved the capture of some 1,300 square kilometers – has brought the war into the homes of ordinary Russians.

Joining Moore at the FT Weekend festival at the Kenwood House, Burns claimed the offensive was an important tactical achievement which exposed the vulnerabilities of the Russian military.

Whether Ukraine can turn the gains into a long-term advantage remains to be seen. So far, the offensive has not caused Russian President Vladimir Putin to shift his attention from the invaded east of the country, where his forces are closing in on the strategically located town of Pokrovsk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pressuring his allies to allow him to use Western-supplied missiles to attack sites from which Moscow launches air strikes, which are located on Russian territory.

US President Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire US-supplied missiles toward Russian territory in self-defense actions, but at a limited range to cross-border targets considered a direct threat, due to concerns about further escalation of the conflict.

Burns stressed that the West must be aware of such risk, but not feeling unnecessarily intimidated by Russian bellicosity; revealed that there was a moment at the end of 2022 when it occurred a genuine risk of tactical nuclear weapons use by Moscow.

Disturbing alliance

He also warned of the growing and disturbing defense relationship between Russia, China, Iran and North Korea that he said threatens Ukraine and its Western allies in the Middle East. North Korea has sent munitions and missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, while Iran supplies it with drones.

He confirmed that the CIA has seen no evidence that China is sending weapons to Russia, but we see many almost equivalent thingsHe also warned Iran not to supply ballistic missiles to Moscow, saying that It would be a remarkable escalation of the relationship.

Before their presentation, the two spy chiefs wrote an opinion piece for the British daily Financial Timesin which they call for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas, and claim that their agencies had exploited our intelligence channels to lobby intensely for containment and de-escalation.

Burns has been heavily involved in efforts to end the conflict, traveling to Egypt in August for high-level talks aimed at hammering out a deal on the hostages and at least a temporary truce.

No agreement has been reached yet, although US officials insist that one is close. I can’t tell you how close we are right nowBurns said, adding that negotiators are working on new, detailed proposals in the coming days.

The CIA chief said that 90 percent of the text has been approved by the warring parties, but The remaining 10 percent is the last 10 percent for a reason, because it is the hardest part.adding that ending the conflict requires some tough decisions and some difficult compromises by Israel and Hamas.