The top U.S. intelligence officials delivered their annual global threat assessment on Monday, telling a Senate panel that the country faces an "increasingly fragile world order."
Their report largely focused on threats from China and a "confrontational Russia," and the Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, urged the senators to approve more military assistance for Ukraine.
"The assistance that is contemplated in the supplemental is absolutely critical to Ukraine's defense right now."
CIA director William Burns also urged continuing support for Ukraine, telling the Senate Intelligence Committee that it would help send a message to China about aggression toward its neighbors.
"If we're seen to be walking away from support to Ukraine, not only is that a going to feed doubts amongst our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, it's going to stoke the ambitions of the Chinese leadership in contingencies ranging from Taiwan to the South China Sea. [FLASH] The Ukrainians are not running out of courage and tenacity, they're running out of ammunition and we're running out of time to help them."
The agency leaders also noted the risks of broader conflict related to Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
After a protester interrupted the hearing with shouts about the need to protect civilians in Gaza, CIA director Burns was asked about children in the Palestinian enclave.
"The reality is that there are children who are starving... They're malnourished as a result of the fact that humanitarian assistance can't get to them. It's very difficult to distribute humanitarian assistance effectively unless you have a ceasefire."
FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed concern about rising threats from Americans inspired by Islamist groups and other foreign militants since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
"That threat has gone to a whole new level, and so this is a time, I think, for much greater vigilance than has maybe been called upon of us before Oct. 7."
