CIA Director John Ratcliffe Meets Russian Intelligence Officials in Moscow, Kremlin Says
U.S. CIA chief John Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence services during an unannounced visit to Moscow, with Kremlin officials confirming the meeting but providing few details.
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe met with representatives of Russia's intelligence agencies during a visit to Moscow on Tuesday, the Kremlin said. The meeting was not announced in advance and did not involve Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
"There were no meetings with the president of Russia. That's all I can say on the subject. Naturally, President Putin is briefed immediately about everything," Peskov told reporters.
Peskov declined to comment further when asked about the topics discussed, stating that he had nothing additional to add. He described the contact between the two intelligence services as a "positive phenomenon" that can continue even when overall diplomatic relations are strained, but said it was too early to assess any impact on the broader U.S.-Russia relationship.
The visit marks one of the highest-level U.S. trips to Russia during President Donald Trump's second term. The last CIA director to travel to Moscow was William Burns in November 2021, shortly before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, diplomatic ties have remained tense, with the United States imposing extensive sanctions on Moscow.
Ahead of Ratcliffe's trip, U.S. officials informed Ukraine that a senior delegation would be in Moscow and asked Kyiv to pause strikes until the delegation departed, a Ukrainian official told a U.S. network. Analysts noted that such an unannounced, high-level visit is unusual and may signal a shift in diplomatic activity.