Russia-Ukraine war: US confirms having ‘communications’ with Russia
Russia-Ukraine war: US confirms having ‘communications’ with Russia
The US has confirmed it has opened communication channels between Washington and Moscow despite the war in Ukraine.
Speaking in New York, US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan
said it was “in the interests” of the US to maintain contact with the Kremlin.
But he insisted officials were “clear-eyed about who we are dealing with”.
The news comes as the White House has not denied reports that the US has been engaging in talks with Russia to prevent a nuclear escalation in Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Sullivan has held confidential discussions with his Russian counterpart, Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev, and senior Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, over the past several months.
Senior US officials reportedly told the Washington Post the men had discussed ways to guard against the risk of nuclear escalation in the war in Ukraine, but had not engaged in any negotiations around ways to end the conflict.
Last month, Sullivan said any use of nuclear weapons would have “catastrophic consequences for Russia”. He told NBC that senior officials had “spelled out” the scope of the potential US response in private discussions with Russian officials.
