Senior US official holds secret talks with Putin's allies on Ukrainian war

The Wall Street Journal broke the news.

According to the WSJ sources, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser for the United States, has spoken with Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy advisor, and Nikolai Patrushev, his direct counterpart in the Russian government.

The intention has been to prevent the risk of escalation and maintain open lines of communication. Sullivan also tried to warn the Kremlin against the use of weapons of mass destruction, WSJ reports.

The source did not specify when and how the negotiations between the adviser to the US president and representatives of Putin's inner circle took place.

WSJ also claimed that Mr. Sullivan has spoken to Ukraine’s leadership, urging them to publicly signal their willingness to negotiate with Russia.

The White House provided no comment to The Wall Street Journal's information. The talks between the adviser to the US president and Russian officials have not been officially acknowledged neither by Washington nor by Moscow.