The war in Ukraine is unlikely to end soon, the top US intelligence official has predicted, Sky News reports.
Avril Haines, director of the National Intelligence Service, said that Vladimir Putin sees domestic and international developments in his favor, making it likely that he will continue actions in Ukraine.
“Putin’s increasingly aggressive tactics against Ukraine, such as strikes on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure, are designed to convince Ukraine that continued fighting will only add to the damage and offer no plausible path to victory.” she stated.
“These aggressive tactics are likely to continue and the war is unlikely to end anytime soon.”
His comments come as the White House said it remains “deeply concerned” that it sees no change in China’s aid to the Russian military – following concerns raised by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
During a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials last week, Blinken said: “Feeding Russia’s defense industrial base not only threatens the security of Ukraine, but also the security of Europe. Russia would have difficulty sustaining its assault on Ukraine without China’s support.”
Blinken did not elaborate on how the US would address the issue if China continues to help Russia, but White House spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that new sanctions against Russia and North Korea were not out of the question.
