Russia's Security Council said CIA chief William Burns held talks with Nikolai Patrushev, the council's secretary and a former head of Russia's FSB.
CIA director William Burns is making a rare visit to Moscow to discuss US-Russia relations, the latest in a series of high-level contacts that show both sides want to keep talking despite mutual distrust and a long list of disputes.
A US Embassy spokesperson said Burns was leading a delegation of senior US officials to Moscow on Tuesday and Wednesday at President Joe Biden's request.
"They are meeting with members of the Russian government to discuss a range of issues in the bilateral relationship," the spokesperson said.
Russia's Security Council said Burns, a Russian-speaker and former ambassador to Moscow, held talks with Nikolai Patrushev, the council's secretary and a former head of Russia's FSB intelligence service.
Neither side gave details of the conversation, but security issues loom large in their troubled relationship.