According to the US foreign intelligence service, the next six months will be decisive for the outcome of the war in Ukraine. "The key will be on the battlefield in the next six months," CIA director William Burns said at an event at Georgetown University, according to media reports on Thursday (local time).

Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting that dwindling Western interest and political fatigue will give his troops a chance to make gains on the battlefield.

At a meeting in November in Turkey, Burns said he had already told his Russian counterpart Sergei Naryshkin that this calculation would not work. It must be made clear to Putin "that not only will he not be able to advance any further in Ukraine, but that with each passing month he runs more and more of a risk of losing the territory he has illegally seized from Ukraine ' said the CIA Director. "The next period will be absolutely crucial," he said.

Western intelligence information showed that the Kremlin chief was not really interested in peace talks. "We don't assume that Putin is seriously interested in negotiations, even if you sometimes hear that," said the CIA director.