CIA Director Ratcliffe Meets Russian Intelligence Officials in Moscow Amid Ongoing US-Russia Tensions
The Kremlin confirmed that CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks with his Russian intelligence counterparts in Moscow, a rare diplomatic contact occurring as relations between Washington and Moscow remain strained over the war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin said CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence officials in Moscow on Tuesday, a rare and secretive engagement at a time when diplomatic ties between the United States and Russia are under strain because of the war in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Ratcliffe did not meet President Vladimir Putin, who was briefed on the discussions at the intelligence-agency level, and declined to disclose the topics covered.
Russian state media reported that a U.S. military aircraft landed at Vnukovo airport and departed later the same day. President Donald Trump downplayed the visit, describing it as “sort of semi-routine” during an interview on a conservative radio program.
A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously, said Washington had informed Kyiv that a U.S. delegation would travel to Moscow and had asked Ukrainian forces to suspend strikes in the capital, St. Petersburg and certain northern regions while the delegation was present. Strikes elsewhere in Russia continued.
Peskov described contacts between intelligence agencies as “a positive phenomenon” but emphasized that overall US-Russia relations remain in a “profound crisis” and that it is too early to assess the impact of Ratcliffe’s trip. Security expert Andrei Soldatov said such visits are uncommon and typically occur when urgent national-security matters arise, adding that official communication channels between Moscow and Washington have existed since the 1980s to address emergencies involving personnel or other critical issues.
Previous meetings between senior intelligence officials from the two countries have taken place, including a 2021 encounter between CIA Director William Burns and Russian Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev, and a 2022 meeting in Turkey between Burns and the head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service.
Relations between the United States and Russia have deteriorated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, though there were signs of a slight thaw after President Trump returned to office. Efforts to negotiate a cease-fire in Ukraine have stalled, and both Moscow and Kyiv have intensified long-range attacks. Russia continues to maintain a strategic partnership with Iran, providing limited support while also preserving ties with Israel, according to analysts.