CIA Director William Burns is in Turkey where he met with the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) to convey the message regarding the consequences of the potential use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, an official from White House.
An anonymous source was quoted as saying that Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, will attend the talks.
On the other hand, the White House announced that Burns, the former US ambassador to Russia, would not participate in any negotiations with Naryshkin.
Ukraine had been informed in advance of Burns’ trip to Turkey, the White House official added. Burns will not discuss any solution to the war in Ukraine, but that he will simply give a message about the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia.
Beyond the war, Russia and the US have a number of outstanding issues to discuss, from the scope of a key nuclear arms reduction agreement and a deal to export grain through the Black Sea to a possible prisoner exchange and war in Syria.