CIA Director Bill Burns visited Ukraine earlier this month to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and other officials as the war looks set to enter its second year, according to two sources familiar with the trip, who were cited by CNN.

“While there, he reaffirmed the US commitment to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, including continued intelligence sharing,” a US official told CNN.

The sources declined to provide additional details about the trip.

Burns’ trip comes at a time when the United States is increasingly concerned that Russia may resort to nuclear weapons in this war of occupation.

Burns and other US officials have said publicly that they see no evidence that Moscow is actively preparing to take such a step, but officials familiar with the information have warned that the risk is perhaps the highest since Russia invaded the country in February .

In a previous interview, Bill Burns said Russian President Vladimir Putin could become “quite dangerous and reckless” if he felt cornered.

In particular, he noted that, despite China’s February pledge of “boundless friendship,” Beijing has refused to provide Moscow with the military support that Putin has requested, and has also “curbed its enthusiasm for how Russia is waging this war.”

The growing challenges facing Russia have left Putin with fewer options at his disposal, making him potentially more dangerous, the CIA chief believes.

“A cornered Putin, a Putin who feels his back is against the wall, can be quite dangerous and reckless,” Bill Burns warned.

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