Russian, US intelligence chiefs hold ‘constructive’ phone call

MOSCOW

The head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said Thursday he held a “constructive” phone conversation with his US counterpart, and noted that a face-to-face meeting could follow.

“We had a telephone conversation with my colleague, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency,” Sergey Naryshkin told reporters in Moscow about the call with CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

“I do not rule out the possibility of an in-person meeting in the near future,” said Naryshkin.

Russian-American dialogue has seen renewed momentum since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Delegations from both countries met in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 19 for negotiations that lasted nearly five hours. Additionally, two rounds of bilateral consultations were held in Istanbul.

US presidential envoy Steven Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow this week.

Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on April 11.

Trump had expressed hope for a peace deal this week between Russia and Ukraine but lashed Wednesday at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to recognize Russian control of Crimea.

“The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” he wrote on Truth Social.

The EU foreign policy chief condemned Russia on Thursday after Ukrainian officials said renewed attacks on Kyiv killed two victims and injured 54.