Weekend news via the Wall Street Journal that :

  • President Biden’s top national-security adviser has engaged in recent months in confidential conversations with top aides to Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to reduce the risk of a broader conflict over Ukraine and warn Moscow against using nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, U.S. and allied officials said.

This refers to U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan. He's been in talks with Yuri Ushakov, a foreign-policy adviser to Russian President Putin.

  • Sullivan has also spoken with his direct counterpart in the Russian government, Nikolai Patrushev, the officials added.

Here is the link to the Journal piece (gated).

Russian Prez Putin:

putin 11 May 2022