William J. Burns

American diplomat · United States · On the map · Politicians · Born 1956 · age 70

William Joseph Burns is an American diplomat who served as the 8th director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Biden administration from March 19, 2021 to January 20, 2025.

William J. Burns is read about 505 times a day, in 29 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 10 November 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 414 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2023“At the time, the CIA was directed by William Burns, a mild-mannered former ambassador to Russia who had served as deputy secretary of state in the Obama Administration.”In their words8 February 2023Seymour Hersh, How America Took Out The Nord Stream PipelineRead the whole statement

2022“Burns’ reverence for public service came in part from his father, a two-star Army general and director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.”In their words30 May 2022The Putinologist: CIA chief’s long history with Putin gives him special insight, PoliticoRead the whole statement

2019“The overarching challenge for U.S. foreign policy today, it seems to me, is to adapt to an international landscape in which American dominance is fading.”In their wordsMay 2019The Diplomacy Imperative: A Q&A with William J. Burns, The Foreign Service Journal, May 2019Read the whole statement

“Putin’s intimidating aura is often reinforced by his controlled mannerisms, modulated tone, and steady gaze.”In their wordsApril 2019How the U.S. -Russian Relationship Went Bad, by William J. Burns, The Atlantic, April 2019Read the whole statement

“Early on in his Kremlin tenure, Putin had tested, with President George W. Bush, a form of partnership suited to his view of Russian interests and prerogatives.”In their wordsApril 2019How the U.S. -Russian Relationship Went Bad, by William J. Burns, The Atlantic, April 2019Read the whole statement

“Few American diplomats have had as distinguished and varied a career as has Burns. His lucid and panoramic memoir draws a sharp contrast between what he sees as the peak of U.S.”In their wordsThe Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal By William J. Burns (2019, 512 pp.), Reviewed by WalterRead the whole statement

1956Born4 April 1956

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Photos 3

William Joseph Burns sworn in as CIA director by Kamala Harris in 2021

Burns sitting with President Joe Biden, Harris, and the U.S. national security team, August 18, 2021

In their own words 3

William J. Burns

3 statements, newest first

Even as Burns and his agency try to outmaneuver the Kremlin, the CIA director continues to believe China is the greater long-term geopolitical threat to the United States.
30 May 2022 · The Putinologist: CIA chief’s long history with Putin gives him special insight, Politico, Own words
[His response to a question about his concerns regarding the “militarization” of foreign policy] We all ought to be concerned.
May 2019 · The Diplomacy Imperative: A Q&A with William J. Burns, The Foreign Service Journal, May 2019, Own words
President Barack Obama first met with Putin in Moscow in July 2009, and I accompanied him... En route to Putin’s dacha... I suggested that Obama open the meeting with a question.
April 2019 · How the U.S. -Russian Relationship Went Bad, by William J. Burns, The Atlantic, April 2019, Own words

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Awards

Marshall Scholarship

Annenberg Award for Excellence in Diplomacy

Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun

About this person

He previously served as U.S. deputy secretary of state from 2011 to 2014; in 2009 he served as acting secretary of state for a day, prior to the confirmation of Hillary Clinton. Burns retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2014 after a 32-year career. From 2014 to 2021, he served as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Country

United States