In a bid to dissuade Kremlin from intensifying the conflict with Ukraine, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan recently held a confidential meeting with Yuri Ushakov, a foreign-policy adviser to Vladimir Putin, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported citing two unnamed US officials.
The meeting between the two top officials comes in the wake of reports that Russia is ramping up its nuclear arsenal to be used in the Ukrainian war.
According to the US media outlet, Sullivan has also been in contact with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev, the officials said, adding that the aim of the engagement was to keep communications channels open, and not to discuss a settlement of the Ukrainian war.
The newspaper reported that US officials did not provide the dates or the number of calls.
Responding to the reports about Sullivan’s confidential meetings, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said, “People claim a lot of things” and declined to comment further.
The Kremlin didn’t respond to a request for comment, the WSJ reported.
On Friday, President Joe Biden’s top national security advisor travelled to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During the meeting, he announced a new $400 million military aid package which includes refurbished T-72 tanks, which is the first time the US is sending tanks to Ukraine, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles and the refurbishment of 250 HAWK surface-to-air missiles for eventual transfer to Ukraine, according to the White House.
The White House said that Sullivan visited Zelensky to “underscore the United States’ steadfast support to Ukraine and its people as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity,”
“He also affirmed the continued provision of economic and humanitarian assistance, as well as ongoing efforts with partners to hold Russia accountable for its aggression.”