CIA Director William Burns called Russian spy chief Sergei Naryshkin after last week's aborted mutiny in Russia to assure the Kremlin that the United States had no role in it, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Burns' phone call with Naryshkin, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, took place this week and was the highest-level contact between the two governments since the attempted mutiny, the Wall Street Journal said.
The boss of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, shocked the world by leading last week's armed revolt, only to abruptly call it off as his fighters approached Moscow.
President Joe Biden said on Monday the brief uprising by Russian mercenaries against the Kremlin was part of a struggle within the Russian system and that the United States and its allies were not involved in it.
Russian watchdog blocks media outlets linked to Prigozhin
Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor has blocked media outlets linked to Prigozhin, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on Friday.
Russian authorities have not outlawed the Wagner group following the abortive mutiny but under a deal that ended the crisis, its fighters have been given the option of being integrated into Russia's regular armed forces, joining their leader in exile in Belarus or returning home.