An unprecedented joint public appearance was made on Saturday by the head of the CIA, William Burns, and the head of the British intelligence service known as MI6, Richard Moore.
The leaders of the two intelligence agencies spoke at an event hosted by the “Financial Times,” and as expected, developments regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as the Israel-Hamas war, were at the center of their remarks. The two emphasized the importance of the intelligence partnership between the two countries during a time when the global order is threatened, particularly by Russian aggression.
Threat from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea ‘seen’ by the head of the CIA
Both Burns and Moore highlighted the significance of the partnership between the US and the UK, especially in light of Russian aggression. Burns referred to the preparations for war in Ukraine, initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022, as one of the best examples of why there must be better coordination between the two agencies.
“Going back to the fall of 2021, together, our agencies together, we were able to provide reliable, timely, accurate warning of the impending invasion, which was no small feat at the time, because almost all other agencies around the world, our counterpart intelligence services, considered that to be a bluff on Putin’s part,” said the head of the CIA.
“I think good intelligence allowed our leaders, our political leaders, to mobilize a very strong coalition to counter Putin’s aggression,” he noted.
Speaking about the threat from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, Moore said there is significant “realistic cooperation” among these countries.
“You can see it, unfortunately, on the battlefield in Ukraine. You can see North Korean weapons. You can see Iranian drones. You can see the kind of assistance that the Chinese have offered through a sort of dual-use materials. You see all of that playing out in our world.”
Building on this, Burns mentioned that there is still no “direct evidence” that China has supplied weapons and ammunition to Russia for use in Ukraine. However, he said, “We see many things, as Richard said, in terms of dual-use items, the kinds of things that have allowed Putin over the last 18 months to significantly rebuild his defense industrial base, and that poses a real danger.”
Regarding the invasion of Ukraine into Russia’s Kursk region, Moore noted that it changed the narrative of the war, and Burns stated that it was a significant tactical achievement.
Negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza are ongoing
Speaking about the ongoing negotiations to secure an agreement for a ceasefire and hostages in Gaza, Burns stated that the US is working very hard with mediators to convince both Israel and Hamas to agree to a peace plan. However, he mentioned that despite all the work that needs to be done, ending the war in Gaza is ultimately “a matter of political will.”
Currently, Burns said, the US is collaborating with Egypt and Qatar to improve the framework proposed by Biden in May and “to put it into a form, a pretty solid proposal” that both the leadership of Israel and Hamas would accept.
“It is a fact that if you look at the written text, 90% of the paragraphs have been agreed upon. But in any negotiation I’ve been involved in, the last 10% is the last 10% for some reason, because it’s the most difficult piece to settle,” he remarked.
With information from: CIA and MI6 heads discuss Gaza ceasefire efforts, Russian threat in unprecedented joint public appearance in London