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CIA Chief Will Talk Nukes, Prisoners With His Russian Counterpart

The two are meeting to discuss the “consequences of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia” and cases of unjust detainment.

CIA Director Bill Burns will meet with Sergey Naryshkin, Russia’s foreign intelligence service director, on Monday in Ankara, Turkey, to discuss “managing risk” and cases of “unjustly” held Americans like Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, CNN reported. “We have been very open about the fact that we have channels to communicate with Russia on managing risk, especially nuclear risk and risks to strategic stability,” a national security spokesperson told CNN. Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, previously spoke to Russia, cautioning his counterparts against using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, according to CNN. The U.S. has also informed Ukraine of Burns’ meeting as part of its principle, “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” the spokesperson told CNN. “He is not discussing settlement of the war in Ukraine. He is conveying a message on the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia, and the risks of escalation to strategic stability. He will also raise the cases of unjustly detained US citizens.”