Russia’s reliance on China, North Korea and Iran over Ukraine has ‘potential to undermine’: top US official
- Moscow’s dire circumstances could lead to upended ‘non-proliferation norms’ and fuel disinformation meant to interfere with elections, Senate hears
- US national intelligence director sees ‘growing cooperation and willingness to exchange aid in military, economic, political and intelligence matters’
“Growing cooperation and willingness to exchange aid in military, economic, political and intelligence matters [among the four countries] enhances their individual capabilities,” said Avril Haines, director of national intelligence, in testimony supporting her office’s Annual Threat Assessment, a summary of current threats to American national security.
The hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee also brought as witnesses FBI Director Christopher Wray, CIA Director William Burns and National Security Agency Director Timothy Haugh. A closed-door hearing was scheduled to follow the unclassified public portion.
“Russia’s need for support in the context of Ukraine has forced it to grant some long-time concessions to China, North Korea and Iran, with the potential to undermine, among other things, long-held non-proliferation norms,” Haines said, without specifying what technologies she was most concerned about.
