US, Russia intelligence Chiefs discuss nuclear weapons 

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns has held talks with Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service in the Turkish capital Ankara on the consequences of any use of nuclear weapons.

It is the first known high-level, face-to-face U.S.-Russian contact since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

A White House spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Burns is not conducting negotiations of any kind.

“He is not discussing settlement of the war in Ukraine.

 “He is conveying a message on the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia, and the risks of escalation to strategic stability … He will also raise the cases of unjustly detained U.S. citizens.” The spokesperson said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Russian news agencies that a U.S.-Russia meeting had taken place in Ankara but declined to give details about the participants or the subjects discussed.

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Burns is a former U.S. ambassador to Russia who was sent to Moscow in late 2021 by President Joe Biden to caution Putin about the troop build-up around Ukraine.

“We briefed Ukraine in advance on his trip. We firmly stick to our fundamental principle: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.

Putin has repeatedly said Russia will defend its territory with all available means, including nuclear weapons, if attacked. He says the West has engaged in nuclear blackmail against Russia.

The remarks raised particular concern in the West after Moscow declared in September that it had annexed four Ukrainian regions that its forces partly control.

Beyond the war, Russia and the United States have a host of outstanding issues to discuss, ranging from the extension of a nuclear arms reduction treaty and a Black Sea grain deal to a possible prisoner swap and the Syrian civil war.

When asked at a G20 summit in Indonesia about the meeting in Turkey, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said the United Nations was not involved.

Zainab Sa’id