U.S. and U.K. spy chiefs praise Ukraine’s ’audacious’ Russia incursion and call for a Gaza cease-fire

British and American intelligence chiefs praise Ukraine's bold offensive into Russia, urging allies to not be intimidated by Moscow.

The heads of the British and American foreign intelligence agencies said Saturday (September 7, 2024) that Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia is a significant achievement that could change the narrative of the grinding 2 1/2-year war, as they urged Kyiv’s allies not to be held back by Russian threats of escalation.

Richard Moore, the head of MI6, said Kyiv’s surprise August offensive to seize territory in Russia’s Kursk region was “typically audacious and bold on the part of the Ukrainians, to try and change the game.” He said the offensive – which Ukraine said has captured about 1,300 sq. km (500 square miles) of Russian territory – had “brought the war home to ordinary Russians.”

Speaking alongside Mr. Moore at an unprecedented joint public event in London, CIA Director William Burns said the offensive was a “significant tactical achievement” that had exposed vulnerabilities in the Russian military.

It has yet to be seen whether Ukraine can turn the gains into a long-term advantage. So far, the offensive has not drawn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s focus away from eastern Ukraine, where his forces are closing in on the strategically situated city of Pokrovsk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly pressed allies to let Kyiv use Western-supplied missiles to strike deep inside Russia and hit sites from which Moscow launches aerial attacks. While some countries, including Britain, are thought to tacitly support the idea, others including Germany and the U.S. are reluctant.

U.S. President Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-provided missiles into Russia in self-defence, but the distance has been largely limited to cross-border targets deemed a direct threat, out of concerns about further escalating the conflict.

Mr. Burns said the West should be “mindful” of the escalation risk but not be “unnecessarily intimidated” by Russian sabre-rattling, revealing that there was a moment in late 2022 when there was a “genuine risk of the use of tactical nuclear weapons” by Moscow.