David Marlowe, the Central Intelligence Agency’s deputy director of operations, told an academic audience that the invasion of Ukraine has been a massive failure for Russian President Vladimir Putin and opens opportunities for Western intelligence agencies among disaffected Russians.
“Putin was at his best moment the day before he invaded,” when he still had the ability to coerce Ukraine, influence NATO, and demonstrate that Russia is a powerful nation, Mr. Marlowe said at George Mason University’s Hayden Center. “He squandered every single bit of that.”
“We’re looking around the world for Russians who are as disgusted with that as we are,” he said. “Because we’re open for business.”
[Not only does this offer a signal to potential moles, it also sends a clear signal to Putin that he’s in big trouble for the long haul. — Ed]
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