 Putin finds himself in awkward position. CIA operation thwarts Kremlin's plans. William Joseph Burns, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, revealed details of the important operation. It played a key role in supporting Ukraine's war against Russia. In an article for Foreign Affairs, Burns noted that high-quality intelligence allowed the United States to form a powerful coalition to support Ukraine. He stressed that the disclosure of certain information undermined Russia's attempts to use disinformation and put Putin in an awkward position. Declassified data revealed Russian plans for false flag provocations. Their goal was to blame Ukraine and justify the aggression. However, thanks to the efforts of the CIA, Putin found himself out of his comfort zone and forced to respond to challenges rather than create them. These and other declassifications have stripped Putin of the false narratives that I have seen him use so often in the past. Burns writes. The CIA director also noted that internal discontent in Russia creates conditions for the recruitment of new American intelligence agents. He emphasized that the agency is actively using this opportunity to strengthen its position. Beyond Russia, the CIA is focusing on countering China, devoting significant resources to intelligence and analysis. Burns noted that the agency has doubled its budget for China and created many related centers. The agency is also strengthening intelligence channels with Beijing to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings between the countries, the CIA director said. This is important for ensuring global stability and security. The CIA director also mentioned the importance of regional stability, particularly in Latin America and Africa. According to him, the geopolitical importance of these regions is growing.