The most famous claim: top officials met secretly in the US.
NBC News, citing sources who requested anonymity, said a group of former top US national security officials met in New York with names close to the Kremlin “to end the war between Ukraine and Russia and lay down the basis for possible negotiations.
During the meeting, which is said to have taken place in April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with members of the American team in New York for a few hours, Richard Hasss, former head of the American think tank Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), former White House and State Department officials Charles Kupchan and Russia expert Thomas Graham were also said to have been present at the meeting.
THE BIDEN MANAGEMENT IS AWARE OF THE MEETING
It was emphasized that among the objectives was “to keep the channels of communication as open as possible” with Russia. It was noted that those who attended the meeting with Lavrov later informed the White House National Security Council about what happened, and that the talks were conducted with the knowledge of US President Joe Biden’s administration.
On the US side, some former Pentagon officials also participated in the discussions, including Mary Beth Long, a former US assistant secretary of defense with extensive experience in NATO affairs, according to two people briefed on the talks.
On the other hand, it was reported that at least one former US official traveled to Russia in the framework of the talks. (AA)