Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed regional conflicts and crises in relations with the Head of the US Central Intelligence Agency who paid a rare trip to Moscow last week, Kremlin said Monday.
The CIA head William Burns was in Russia for two meetings with high-ranking officials at the request of President Joe Biden, said the US Embassy.
CNN reported last week that burns have been sent to Moscow to warn the Kremlin about the alleged buildup of troops near the Ukrainian border.
It was said that after his meeting in Russia, Burns spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via telephone.
Kremlin’s spokesman said on Monday that Putin and Burns discussed bilateral ties, “regional conflict” and the crisis in diplomatic relations.
He did not provide further details.
Burns, who is the US Ambassador to Russia in 2005-2008, visited Moscow during the severe crisis in the relationship between Moscow and Washington.
Biden has increased pressure on Putin since becoming US president in January.
In May, Russia officially established the United States “unfriendly country”.
Pentagon said last week it was monitoring the situation in Ukraine carefully in the middle of a new Russian troops accumulation report on the country’s border.
In public, Ukraine has denied reports about the buildup of new Russian troops.
The Ukrainian army was locked in a boiling conflict with pro-Russian separatists who erupted after Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.
After the increase in violence this year, Russia in the spring collected around 100,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border, triggered the fall of escalation.
Under pressure from Kiev West allies, Moscow then announced a setback.