INTERNATIONAL: CIA Director William Burns has said he is not sure if Russian President Vladimir Putin has made up his mind to use force in Ukraine, but one thing Burns is sure about, Putin is putting the Russian military, the Russian security forces where they could act in a pretty sweeping way.

Burns further says that they will continue their unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, but he would never underestimate President Putin's risk appetite on Ukraine.

He thinks tactically as President Putin looks at this winter in the next few months, he may see a more favorable landscape with major European allies who are in his eyes distracted with the transition beyond Chancellor Merkel in Germany, as French elections coming up next year, Putin sees himself in a position of relative economic strength compared with where the Russian economy was a couple of years ago.

It's not like Russia is ten feet tall, but Russian president may see this winter tactically, as kind of offering a favorable landscape, none of that means he is going to act militarily though. Russian Winter, sometimes personified as "General Frost" or "General Winter", is an aspect of the climate of Russia that has contributed to military failures of several invasions of Russia. This winter welfare is a contributing factor to military defeat, which will work in favor of Russia.

U.S. President Joe Biden has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of severe economic consequences should Russia go ahead with an invasion of Ukraine. The United States tries to head off Russia from launching military action against Ukraine after Moscow massed tens of thousands of troops on the Ukraine border.

Biden spoke to the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Britain discussing their "shared concern about the Russian military build-up on Ukraine's borders and Russia's increasingly harsh rhetoric." They also called on Russia to de-escalate tensions.

^{PHOTO: CIA DIRECTOR WILLIAM BURNS SPEAKING AT WALL STREET JOURNAL CEO COUNCIL}