Russian victory in Donbas might not end Ukraine war, US intelligence chief says

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told US lawmakers Putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine

She added the next few months in the war-torn country could see ‘more unpredictable and potentially escalatory trajectory’

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US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:27pm, 10 May 2022Updated: 12:51am, 11 May 2022

The United States believes that President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long conflict in Ukraine and a Russian victory in the Donbas in the east of the country might not end the war, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said on Tuesday.

Moscow’s assault on Kyiv was beaten back in March by strong Ukrainian resistance.

Russia, which calls the invasion “a special military operation”, poured more troops into Ukraine for a huge offensive last month in the eastern part of the country, but its gains have been slow.

“We assess President Putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine during which he still intends to achieve goals beyond the Donbas,” Haines told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

She added that Putin was counting on the Western resolve to weaken over time and as the conflict continued, there was concern about how it would develop in the coming months.