William Burns, director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA, acronym in English), met with his Russian counterpart this Monday (14) and warned of the use of nuclear weapons, which Moscow has threatened to do in war. The White House said Ukraine had consequences.
A Council spokesman said Burns is expected to warn Russian Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service SVR, of “the consequences of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons and the risks of escalating strategic stability”. .
It was not possible to confirm whether the meeting had taken place earlier.
The same source stressed that Burns was “not in any negotiation” and “negotiating an agreement on the war in Ukraine”, adding that the Ukrainians were briefed before the meeting.
The American official will discuss with his counterpart the situation of Americans “wrongfully” detained in Russia: basketball player Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for “drug trafficking”, and former soldier Paul Whelan.
President Joe Biden said he hoped his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, would be more willing to talk to the United States about a prisoner swap.
The meeting between Burns and Naryshkin is one of the few high-level talks since February 24, when Russia’s offensive against Ukraine began.
The United States and Russia have always maintained “channels of communication” to discuss bilateral issues or send messages about Ukraine, particularly through the American embassy in Moscow.
source: Noticias
