Russian spy chief hints at meeting with CIA boss
Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) chief Sergey Naryshkin has said he may soon meet in person with CIA Director John Ratcliffe following what he described as a 'very constructive' phone call.
The two intelligence heads held their first phone discussion in March. Naryshkin disclosed at the time that both sides agreed to maintain regular contact to help reduce tensions in relations. He highlighted the importance of continuing dialogue even amid strained political conditions.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Naryshkin confirmed that he had spoken with his US counterpart again and hinted at the possibility of a direct meeting. 'We had a phone conversation with a colleague, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. It was a very constructive conversation. Therefore, I do not rule out that a meeting may take place within some time,' he was quoted as saying by TASS.
Naryshkin has repeatedly signaled his openness to maintaining communication with US intelligence officials, both before and after Donald Trump's return to the presidency.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has reversed a number of US foreign policy positions and moved to re-establish channels of communication with Moscow, which were largely frozen during the administration of former US President Joe Biden. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have since held several phone discussions, with particular focus on bilateral relations and the Ukraine conflict.
The US president's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has traveled to Moscow several times over the past few months to meet with Putin and other senior Russian officials.
Trump suggested on Thursday that he expects to meet with Putin in person shortly after a trip to the Middle East next month.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that a meeting between the two heads of state is being prepared. He expressed hope that it will be 'productive' given that both Trump and Putin 'want results.'
'What unites them is that they both understand the absurdity of refusing dialogue. They are united by their willingness to resolve the most difficult issues through discussion. This is what the previous Biden administration lacked,' Peskov told the French magazine Le Point.
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