2 years ago
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CNN —
CIA Director Bill Burns is gathering with his Russian quality counterpart, Sergey Naryshkin, successful Ankara Monday arsenic portion of an ongoing effort by the US to “communicate with Russia connected managing risk” and to sermon the cases of “unjustly detained US citizens,” a National Security Council spokesperson tells CNN.
“We person been precise unfastened astir the information that we person channels to pass with Russia connected managing risk, particularly atomic hazard and risks to strategical stability,” the spokesperson said. “As portion of this effort, Bill Burns is successful Ankara contiguous to conscionable with his Russian quality counterpart.”
CNN has antecedently reported that nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan has besides been successful interaction with his Russian counterparts to pass them of the consequences should Russia usage a atomic limb successful Ukraine.
The spokesperson emphasized that Burns “is not conducting negotiations of immoderate kind.”
“He is not discussing colony of the warfare successful Ukraine. He is conveying a connection connected the consequences of the usage of atomic weapons by Russia, and the risks of escalation to strategical stability. He volition besides rise the cases of unjustly detained US citizens.”
The spokesperson added that the US briefed Ukraine connected the gathering successful beforehand of Burns’ trip.
“We firmly instrumentality to our cardinal principle: thing astir Ukraine without Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.
The Biden medication has dispatched Burns respective times implicit the past twelvemonth for talks with the Russians, utilizing the seasoned diplomat and erstwhile US ambassador to Russia arsenic a cardinal intermediary arsenic US-Russia relations person continued to decline. Burns was sent to Moscow past November, earlier Russia invaded Ukraine, to pass the Kremlin of the consequences of an invasion. He has besides been progressive successful discussions with Naryshkin astir US citizens detained successful Russia, including Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.
The discussions are besides portion of an ongoing effort by the US to support the lines of connection unfastened with Moscow amid thinly veiled threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia could usage a atomic limb successful Ukraine.
“In the lawsuit of a menace to the territorial integrity of our state and to support Russia and our people, we volition surely marque usage of each limb systems disposable to us. This is not a bluff,” Putin warned successful a code successful September.
He aboriginal appeared to reverse himself, saying successful October that “we spot nary request for” atomic weapons successful Ukraine. “There is nary constituent successful that, neither political, nor military.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu besides spoke by telephone precocious past period for the archetypal clip since May, arsenic quality surfaced that Russian subject officials had discussed however and nether what conditions Russia would usage a tactical atomic weapon connected the battlefield successful Ukraine, CNN has previously reported.
Russian officials besides past period began alleging that Ukraine is preparing to use a “dirty bomb”– an allegation the US disquieted was simply a pretext for Russia to usage 1 itself, and that the International Atomic Energy Agency debunked aft an probe of Ukrainian sites.
The US has inactive not seen immoderate signs that Putin has decided to instrumentality the drastic measurement of utilizing a atomic weapon, officials said.
English (US)