Washington. November 6th. INTERFAX - The purpose of the visit of CIA Director William Burns to Moscow was to understand Russia's intentions towards Ukraine and warn about the attention Washington pays to the movements of Russian wax near the Ukrainian border, CNN reported.
"President Joe Biden sent CIA Director William Burns to Moscow earlier this week to warn the Kremlin that the United States is closely monitoring the buildup of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine and to try to determine the motives of Russia's actions," the TV channel said, citing its sources.
It claims that "the United States is increasingly concerned about the irregular movement of Russian troops and equipment near the northern border with Ukraine."
CNN notes that "the Biden administration has stepped up its efforts in recent days to de-escalate the growing tensions between Moscow and Kiev." According to the channel's sources, after his meetings in Russia, Burns "spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in an attempt to defuse this tension."
The CIA chief also expressed U.S. concerns that Russia is "close to" using gas exports as leverage, while Ukraine and other European countries are projected to face an energy crisis in winter.
"The buildup (of troops on the border - IF) in combination with energy blackmail really suggests a more aggressive position of Russia," Zelensky's adviser told CNN.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Friday: "We continue to observe unusual activity of the Russian military near the border with Ukraine. We continue to consult with allies and partners on this topic," he said.
"I cannot talk about Russia's intentions, I cannot go into the details of intelligence assessments, but I will note that any Russian actions aimed at escalation or aggression will seriously concern the United States," Kirby added.
Republican Congressmen Mike Rogers and Mike Turner called on US President Joe Biden to expand arms supplies to Ukraine and increase military presence in the Black Sea, Defense News reported.
In a letter to the president, the legislators noted that these measures are necessary to prevent the threat of "a new invasion by Russian troops."
Earlier this week, the American media spread reports about Russia's alleged buildup of troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
So, the newspaper Politico published satellite photos, which, in its opinion, confirm that Russia is concentrating troops and military equipment on the border with Ukraine.
At the same time, the publication noted that the pictures, which allegedly indicate that Russia is building up tanks, self-propelled guns and military personnel, were taken near the Russian city of Yelnya. At the same time, Politico did not indicate that Yelnya is located in the Smolensk region, bordering Belarus, and not Ukraine.
