KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he had met US CIA director William Burns in Ukraine, a rare public disclosure amid Russia’s invasion.

The United States has been Ukraine’s most important financial and military backer in the almost three years since Moscow invaded, and Washington is also reported to have routinely shared military intelligence with Kyiv to support its defence.

Zelensky said he had met the CIA director on multiple occasions throughout the war, but their meetings had been undisclosed.

“Bill Burns paid his last visit to Ukraine as CIA director,” Zelensky said in a post on Telegram.

“He and I have had many meetings during this war, and I am grateful for his help,” he added.

“Usually, such meetings are not publicly reported, and all our meetings — in Ukraine, in other European countries, in America, and in other parts of the world — were held without official information,” Zelensky said.

Burns is set to leave the powerful post of CIA chief as president-elect Donald Trump brings in his own candidate.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2024