CIA Director: Putin is concerned and reckless

CBS News visited the agency's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, to speak with director William Burns and to ask whether Putin is concerned about the advances the Ukrainian army is making while hundreds of thousands are leaving Russia.

“He must be concerned not only about what is happening on the battlefield in Ukraine, what is going on at home and what is happening internationally”, said the “Presentation Burns. CBS Evening News” and editor-in-chief Norah O'Donnell.

He stood near Xi Jinping last February shortly before the start of the war and they declared a friendship without borders. Well, it turns out that friendship has some limit”, he claimed.

Burns said China has been somewhat silent in its support for Russia in the conflict, noting that it has not offered the kind of military support the Russian president is likely to hope for, Telegrafi writes.

However, Burns said, Putin remains “strong confident in his judgments”.

Burns said the Russian leader could be “fairly dangerous and reckless” when he feels closed or <x2 his back behind the wall”. But, according to Burns' assessment, Putin is also supporting the approach to move forward to the “wrong settings, where he thinks he can make it difficult with Ukrainians, with the United States and the West”.

As for how closely China is paying attention to the war, Burns said he believes Xi “is looking at what is happening in Ukraine as a hawk”.

With bin Laden and al-Zawahiri dead, does Al-Qaeda still have the rehabilitation to attack America?@NorahODonnell CIA Director William Burns. Their concentrate air tonight on @subsaveingnews Pic.twitter. com/ LTfuH05x ZI

) (CBS News) CBSNews) October 3, 2022