Ukraine Settlement Not Discussed During Burns-Naryshkin Meeting: US Charge d’Affaires

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) head William Burns did not discuss a potential settlement of the Ukraine conflict during his talks with Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Naryshkin, Charge d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Moscow Elizabeth Rood told RIA Novosti.

"The United States has channels for managing risk with the Russian Federation, particularly nuclear risks, and that was the purpose of CIA Director Burns’ meeting with his Russian counterpart. Director Burns did not negotiate anything and he did not discuss a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine," Rood said.

William Burns could hold another meeting with Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Naryshkin, Elizabeth Rood added.

"I am sure if there is a need for another conversation in that channel it can happen, there is not anything scheduled that I know of," Rood said.

Earlier this month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that the meeting between Naryshkin and Burns, held in Ankara on November 14, was initiated by Washington.

Washington is committed to arms control and looking forward to resuming dialogue with Moscow on strategic stability, Elizabeth Rood said.

"[US] President [Joe] Biden is committed to discussing arms control and to determining what the future arrangements will be after a new START expires [in 2026]. In the meantime, we will continue to have discussions through the bilateral consultative commission - the mechanism of the New START treaty - and we look forward to when will we will be able to resume the strategic dialogue," Rood said.

The next meeting of the Russian-US bilateral consultative commission on the New START will be held in Cairo from November 29 to December 6.

Media reported that the talks were dedicated to the discussion of the detained US citizens and nuclear risks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the talks, but did not comment on their content.

US Charge d'Affaires in Moscow expressed the hope that the candidacy of the new US ambassador to Russia will be approved in the near future.

"We think that she will be confirmed and we hope to have her here soon. So we look forward to a day when our embassies will be fully staffed again, even if I can't tell you when that day will be," Rood said.

The United States has channels of communication with Russia at the working level, and it is important for President Joe Biden that the embassy in Moscow continues to work, she added.

"Our bilateral relations are a rather low level and our embassies are considerably reduced from their normal size. But that said, we do have channels of talking with Russia at the working level, about all the many things that are necessary to keep our embassies functioning," Rood said, noting that "it's very important to President Biden that our embassy remain open and functioning."

On September 20, US President Joe Biden nominated Lynne Tracy to replace John Sullivan, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2019. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov later said that Moscow had signaled its agreement on Tracy's appointment as US ambassador.

US basketball player Brittney Griner, who is serving a sentence in Russia, has not filed any complaints about conditions in the prison, Elizabeth Rood said.

"As far as we have heard from her, she is in good health and doing as well as can be expected under her difficult circumstances," Rood said.

When asked whether embassy staff will visit her in the prison, the diplomat said that they are going to do it "as soon as the Russian authorities give ... [them] permission to visit her in the new facility where she has recently arrived."

Washington continues to discuss with Moscow via special channels the release of US basketball player Brittney Griner and former US marine Paul Whelan, Elizabeth Rood added.

"I can say that the United States continues to talk with Russia authorities through the designated channel about the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. The United States, as we have said, has put a significant proposal on the table. We have followed up on that proposal and we have proposed alternatives. Unfortunately, so far, the Russian Federation has not provided a serious response to those proposals," Rood said.

In late July, US media reported that Washington offered to exchange Bout for former US marine Paul Whelan, convicted in Russia on charges of espionage, and US basketball player Brittney Griner, sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison for illegally bringing cannabis oil into the country.