Russian and American Intelligence Agencies start talking: "We Agreed to Call Each Other About Interesting Matters"
The heads of the Russian and American intelligence agencies have agreed between themselves to speak by phone whenever they wish to do so, said the head of the Russian intelligence organization, the SVR, today.
The head of the American CIA, John Ratcliffe, and his Russian counterpart Sergey Naryshkin, have agreed between themselves to stay in phone contact whenever they wish to do so.
The head of Russia's foreign intelligence organization SVR revealed today that the two figures agreed to continue interpersonal communication, despite the fact that the two organizations are fighting each other behind the scenes.
This is another step of apparent rapprochement between Trump's administration and Putin's administration, a rapprochement that is occurring despite the historic hostility between the two countries in general - and intelligence organizations in particular.
Reuters notes that the two espionage organizations are considered bitter rivals. The two agencies have turned in recent years to recruiting agents on the other side, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"I held a phone conversation with my American colleague and we preserved for each other the possibility to call each other at any time and discuss issues that interest us," said the Russian Naryshkin.
This is the first conversation the two have held since last March.
Last week, US President Donald Trump revealed that Putin called him to offer his help in mediating an end to the war between Israel and Iran.
According to the US President's own account, the latter responded to Putin in the phone call: "I don't need help with Iran, I need help with Russia."