(Reuters) – The head of Russian foreign intelligence, Sergei Naryshkin, recently revealed that he had a phone conversation with his CIA counterpart, William Burns, in late June. The purpose of the call was to discuss the situation in Ukraine, as reported by Russia’s TASS news agency. This development comes after the New York Times and Wall Street Journal previously reported about a call between Burns and Naryshkin, which aimed to assure Russia that the United States had no involvement in a brief mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group on June 23-24.
At a time when direct communication between Russia and the United States is scarce due to strained relations, Naryshkin and Burns have maintained a line of contact since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Relations between the two countries are currently at their lowest point since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Naryshkin stated that there is a possibility of an in-person meeting between himself and Burns, according to TASS.
In their last publicly known meeting, which took place in Turkey last November, Burns reportedly warned Russia about the potential consequences of using nuclear weapons. He also addressed the issue of U.S. prisoners in Russia. The significance of this recent phone call and the potential meeting between Naryshkin and Burns remains to be seen.
Reporting by Reuters; writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Gareth Jones
Credit: The Star : News Feed
