White House denies claim of ‘secret talks with Russia’
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan answered questions from reporters at the daily White House press briefing.
Regarding the allegation that a group of former top US and Russian national security officials had secretly met in New York about Ukraine, Sullivan said: “I understand that the (US think tank) ) Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and the Russian Foreign Minister ( Sergey Lavrov) had a meeting”. saying.
Sullivan emphasized that the US government was not involved in this meeting and stressed that no diplomatic message was conveyed through this meeting.
Pointing to longstanding contacts between American and Russian civilians, Sullivan said, “The US government does not use any of these connections to convey messages that further diplomacy, whether direct, indirect or otherwise.” he said.
COCAINE FOUND IN THE WHITE HOUSE
Sullivan also responded to allegations that cocaine at the White House was released near the Situation Room, where intelligence issues were discussed.
Stating that the Situation Room is under construction and has not been used for months, Sullivan claimed that the Situation Room has nothing to do with cocaine.
Sullivan affirmed that they are waiting for the investigation on the subject to conclude and affirmed that if the person who leaves the cocaine is from the White House or someone from outside, there will be consequences accordingly.
Sullivan added that he does not believe there is a continuing threat to national security to this degree.
COCAINE IS ALSO ON THE AGENDA IN THE ASSEMBLY OF REPRESENTATIVES
In a letter to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, noted that the House Oversight Committee is investigating the details of the cocaine found in the House. White on Sunday.
Noting that the appearance of cocaine at the White House was an “alarming” development, Comer stressed that the Committee must evaluate the security practices of the White House and who is responsible for this issue.
“The presence of illegal drugs in the White House is unacceptable and this is a shameful moment in White House history.” Comer, adding that the incident caused additional concerns in the Committee regarding the security of the White House.
Comer requested that the Secret Service notify the Committee of the matter by July 14.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said cocaine was detected in a busy area of the complex, which is also heavily used by visitors. (AA)