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Russian President Vladimir Putin is “decided to dominate and management Ukraine” and went to battle based mostly on a set of assumptions that led him to consider Russia would have a positive final result, CIA Director Invoice Burns testified Tuesday. 

Putin believed a number of assumptions about use of power, together with the assumption that Ukraine was weak and simply intimidated. Second, Putin believed that Europeans, particularly the French and Germans, had been distracted and risk-averse.  

Third, he believed he had “sanctions-proofed” his economic system and created a big battle chest to international foreign money reserves.  

And fourth, he was assured that he had modernized his navy they usually had been able to a fast decisive victory at minimal price.  

Requested about what it could take for Putin to vary his calculus in Ukraine, Burns provided a sober evaluation, saying that “it is a matter of deep private conviction for him.” 

Putin has “been stewing in a flamable mixture of grievance and ambition for a few years,” he stated, including that the Russian president has created a system wherein his personal circle of advisers is “narrower and narrower.” 

The worldwide Covid-19 pandemic has additionally made his circle even smaller, Burns stated throughout a Home Intelligence Committee listening to on worldwide threats.  

Burns later predicted an “ugly subsequent few weeks” with “scant regard for civilian casualties,” given Russia is unlikely to have the ability to set up a puppet regime or pro-Russian management within the face of opposition from the Ukrainian folks. 

“The Ukrainians are going to proceed to withstand fiercely and successfully,” he added.