Russian spy chief confirms phone call with CIA boss on Ukraine crisis

Russia’s foreign intelligence chief, Sergey Naryshkin, disclosed that he held a phone conversation with CIA counterpart William Burns regarding the ongoing situation in Ukraine. The state-run TASS news agency reported this revelation made by Naryshkin, shedding light on their discussion about “what to do with Ukraine.”

This revelation follows reports by The New York Times and Wall Street Journal on June 30, which stated that Burns had reached out to Naryshkin to assure the Kremlin that the United States had no involvement in the brief mutiny led by Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner group of fighters a week prior.

Naryshkin confirmed that Burns addressed the events of June 24, when the mercenaries temporarily seized control of a southern Russian city and advanced towards Moscow before ultimately reaching an agreement with the Kremlin to quell the rebellion. However, the majority of the hour-long call was dedicated to deliberating and considering possible actions concerning Ukraine.

The Central Intelligence Agency declined to provide any comments on Naryshkin’s remarks.

It is worth noting that Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has consistently emphasized that other nations should not negotiate Ukraine’s future on its behalf. The United States has also echoed this principle, emphasizing that “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” should prevail.

Burns and Naryshkin have maintained an open line of communication since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, which is particularly significant given the minimal direct contact between Moscow and Washington. The bilateral relations between the two countries are currently at their lowest point since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

Naryshkin, speaking to TASS, expressed his belief that negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine will become possible in due course. However, it remains unclear whether this specific topic was part of the conversation with Burns. He stated, “It’s natural that negotiations will be possible sooner or later, because any conflict, including armed conflict, ends by negotiations, but the conditions for these still need to ripen.”

When Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak was asked about this report, he told Reuters, “Today, someone like Naryshkin has no leverage over how this war will end.” Podolyak emphasized that Russia was losing the war and that negotiations with figures like Naryshkin were not feasible. He further added, “This Russian elite perceives events completely inadequately, so there is nothing to talk about with them.”

Ukraine, which recently initiated a long-anticipated counteroffensive, has firmly stated that it will not engage in talks at this stage, as it could potentially solidify the current situation on the battlefield, where Russia has already seized over a sixth of the country’s territory.