Russian newspaper Kommersant reported Monday, citing an unidentified source, that Russian and US officials were holding talks in the Turkish capital, Ankara. This happens amid the continuing high tension between Moscow and Washington over the war in Ukraine.
A Turkish official declined to comment on whether the talks were in course, while the Kremlin said it could neither confirm nor deny the report.
Kommersant did not provide details on the purpose of the talks, but said the meeting had not been announced in advance. He added that Sergei Naryshkin, director of the Russian foreign intelligence service, was part of the Russian delegation.
The report comes as Ukraine celebrates the recapture of the southern city of Kherson, its biggest prize so far, following the withdrawal of Russian forces from the region.
Turkey presents itself as a mediator between Moscow and the West since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. Ankara helped broker a deal between Moscow and Kiev on exporting grain from blocked Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea last July.
In a related context, the American newspaper “The Wall Street Journal” confirmed that there is a “strong inflection in Washington’s position on the war. in Ukraine “, as the US administration is” pushing for negotiations “between Kiev and Moscow.
The newspaper confirmed that “US officials urged Ukraine to start negotiations of pace with Russia before the arrival of winter “.
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