The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns, is in Ankara to speak with his counterpart in Russian intelligence to convey a message about the consequences of any use of nuclear weapons by Russia, said the Monday a White House official.
“He is not conducting negotiations of any kind. He is not discussing the solution to the war in Ukraine,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, adding that Burns will also raise the cases of the Americans detained in Russia.
The Russian-American contact in Turkey was first reported by the Russian newspaper Kommersant. It quoted an unnamed source as saying that Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service, would attend the talks.
Relations between Washington and Moscow have fallen to their worst level in decades since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February. Threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine have fueled concerns of an escalation.
“We have been very open about the fact that we have channels to communicate with Russia about risk management, especially nuclear risk and risks to strategic stability,” the White House official said, adding that Ukraine was informed of the trip. in advance.
Information of: The Jerusalem Post
Photo credits: Reuters
