Russia’s spy chief says meeting with CIA’s Burns is possible — TASS

Sergey Naryshkin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation (AFP)

• Naryshkin, head of Russia’s SVR Foreign Intelligence Service, met Burns in Ankara in November

Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin said on Tuesday that another meeting with US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns was possible, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
Naryshkin, head of Russia’s SVR Foreign Intelligence Service, met Burns in Ankara in November.
US officials said at the time that Burns had cautioned Naryshkin about the consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and raised the issue of US prisoners in Russia.
When asked if there would be another such meeting, Naryshkin told TASS: “It’s possible.”
He said the meeting with Burns had been meaningful and had allowed Russia to clarify its position, TASS reported.
Burns is a former US 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.
Naryshkin said Russia had “unprecedented” cooperation with China, including exchanges of large quantities of operational and signals intelligence, TASS said.
He said Russia was building up broad intelligence connections with its ally Iran, saying that “some special services are our partners.”
Naryshkin also said he spoke at intervals to unidentified heads of European spy agencies about the situation in Ukraine, TASS reported.