The dominant global role of the US can no longer be guaranteed as the country is witnessing a time of change \u201cthat comes along a couple of times a century,\u201d CIA Director Bill Burns has claimed.
Speaking at the Baker Institute earlier this week, Burns said that although Washington \u201cstill has a better hand to play than any of our rivals,\u201d it is \u201cno longer the only big kid on the geopolitical block and our position at the head of the table isn\u2019t guaranteed.\u201d
The CIA chief pointed to growing ties between China and Russia, which he argued will present a \u201cformidable challenge\u201d for his agency for years to come. According to Burns, Beijing is \u201cnot content to only have a seat at the table; it wants to run the table,\u201d while Russia is seeking to \u201cupend the table altogether.\u201d
Burns, who served as the US ambassador to Moscow under George W. Bush, condemned Russia\u2019s military operation in Ukraine, calling it an act of \u201cbrutish aggression.\u201d
He claimed the CIA has provided \u201cgood intelligence\u201d that has \u201chelped the Ukrainians defend themselves\u201d and cemented \u201ca strong coalition in support of Ukraine.\u201d
Burns added that Kiev\u2019s long-anticipated spring offensive would feature \u201cstrong material and intelligence support from the US and our allies.\u201d
The spy chief claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is \u201cnot serious about negotiations\u201d on a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and suggested that only Ukrainian progress on the battlefield was \u201clikely to shape prospects for diplomacy.\u201d
Russia has repeatedly stated that it is open to peace talks and has blamed Kiev and its Western allies for blocking negotiations. Ukraine has placed a legal ban on any talks with Russia as it seeks to defeat its opponent on the battlefield.
Regarding China, Burns insisted that Beijing remains the CIA\u2019s \u201cbiggest long-term priority.\u201d He noted that in the last few years, the intelligence agency has doubled the resources it focuses on China, including hiring and training Mandarin speakers and stepping up efforts to compete with Beijing on the world stage.
\u201cManaging a crucial and increasingly adversarial relationship with China will be the most significant test for American policy makers for decades to come,\u201d the US official said, arguing that the risk of a conflict over Taiwan will continue to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n