The top White House official holds secret talks with Russia

WASHINGTON – United States (US) National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is engaged in behind-the-scenes contacts with senior Russian officials in an effort to reduce the possibility of a wider conflict in Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported this on Sunday (11/6/2022), citing several sources.

According to US officials and allies interviewed by the newspaper, Sullivan has been in contact with Yuri Ushakov, aide in foreign policy to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and with Nikolay Patrushev, head of the Russian Security Council.

“The goal of the talks was to protect themselves from the risk of escalation and to keep the channels of communication open rather than discussing a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine,” officials told the Wall Street Journal.

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The WSJ source declined to give details of when the negotiations took place or if they were productive.

US officials said Sullivan had insisted on keeping the lines of communication open with Russia, unlike other senior White House officials, who believed that involvement with Moscow would be fruitless at this stage.

WSJ sources point out that Sullivan has not only taken a leading role in coordinating Washington’s policy on the conflict in Ukraine, but is also involved in diplomatic efforts, visiting Kiev last week to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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“During the talks, the US National Security Advisor urged the Ukrainian leadership to publicly signal their readiness to resolve the conflict,” a US official told the outlet.