Criticism and Controversies
The former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) operative Sergei Tretyakov claimed that SVR considered Talbott a source of intelligence information and classified him as "a special unofficial contact", although "he was not a Russian spy". These unproven allegations center on Talbott's relationship with Russian ambassador Georgiy Mamedov, who called the allegations "blatant lies". Talbott himself has similarly rejected the accusations, calling them "erroneous and/or misleading in several fundamental aspects...here was never a presumption that what we (he and Mamedov) said to each other in our one-to-one sessions would remain private." Further, Talbott has noted that his meetings with Mamedov advanced US objectives, such as getting Russia to accept NATO enlargement and help end the Kosovo conflict.
Read more about this topic: Strobe Talbott
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