WH Declines To Comment On "Peace Talks" Reported By NBC

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates has declined today's NBC report claiming that preliminary peace talks have taken place between former senior US officials at the Council of Foreign Relation and high ranking Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Bates says: "I'm not going to speak for any private citizens who are not members of the administration. I suggest you contact those individuals."

• When pressed on whether Biden has been briefed on the "track two" talks, Bates says that the administration position remains, "nothing about Ukraine, without Ukraine."
• On Ukraine aid, Bates says the White House cannot confirm the supply of cluster munitions to Ukraine but says the decision is "under active consideration."
• Ukraine has recently escalated calls for NATO to supply higher capacity munitions, including cluster bombs and ATACMS, to break down Russian defensive lines. Ukrainian Presidential advisor Mikhailo Podonyak tweeted a short time ago: "Three important words. ATACMS for Ukraine..." referring to longer range missile systems which the US has been reluctant to transfer due to fears the weapons could strike targets within the Russian Federation and escalate the conflict.