Secret Talks Between US and Russian Officials in New York Revealed: Report

A group of senior US and Russian officials held secret talks in New York to discuss possible negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war, a report said on Wednesday.

Citing anonymous sources, an NBC News report said that top US national security officials met with Russian officials in April.

The report said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also met with members of the group.

The report stated that issues, including the future of the territories occupied by Russia, were discussed at the meeting.

In March, top diplomats from the United States and Russia met and spoke briefly for the first time since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, without suggesting any move toward easing simmering tensions between the two countries. US officials said Blinken and Lavrov chatted for about 10 minutes on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ conference in New Delhi. But there was no sign of any progress, and the meeting ended with the caucus unable to reach a consensus on the Ukraine war.

Russian and US officials also held unannounced talks in the Turkish capital, Ankara, in November.

The US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, had earlier accused Moscow of being ready to engage in fruitful talks.