On Tuesday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made his way to Moscow for discussions with Russian officials, according to reports from U.S. media sources citing anonymous insiders.
This marks the first confirmed visit to the Russian capital by an American intelligence chief since William Burns, Ratcliffe’s predecessor, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in November 2021. Approximately three months following that encounter, Putin initiated the invasion of Ukraine.
CBS News and Axios reported on Ratcliffe’s visit, who served as CIA chief under U.S. President Donald Trump and was the director of national intelligence during Trump’s initial term. The reports did not specify the individuals he would meet or the anticipated agenda for the discussions. Other outlets, including ABC News, CNN, and the Wall Street Journal, also confirmed the meeting.
The CIA opted not to provide any comments. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov neither confirmed nor dismissed the report, stating to Reuters that Putin had no plans to meet with Ratcliffe.
Last week, the U.S. urged Ukraine to refrain from conducting airstrikes near Moscow, St. Petersburg, and several northern regions of Russia from Monday to Wednesday of this week, as a plane carrying a high-ranking U.S. official would be en route to the Russian capital, according to a source familiar with the situation.
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Trump administration expands U.S. sanctions on Iran targeting countries with business ties to Tehran
The source did not disclose any additional details. The Financial Times was the first to report on the U.S. communication to Ukraine.
On Monday, the U.S. cautioned nations to sever business relations with Iran or risk facing secondary sanctions as part of a strategy to intensify economic pressure amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran that began in February.
No U.S. ambassador to Russia
Currently, the U.S. has no ambassador stationed in Russia, which continues to enjoy a close strategic alliance with Iran, characterized by substantial military, economic, and diplomatic collaborations.
Tehran has provided Moscow with drones for its military operations in Ukraine.
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In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of supplying its version of those drones to Iran.
A Ukrainian intelligence report referenced by Reuters in April indicated that Russia has assisted Iran by providing satellite imagery for targeting U.S. facilities in the Middle East.
Moscow has denied offering such support and has expressed willingness to help resolve the U.S.-Iran dispute.