CIA director John Ratcliffe reportedly on Moscow visit
Unannounced trip reported by US media is said to be Ratcliffe’s first known visit to Russia as CIA chief The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, has made an unannounced visit to Moscow, US media reported, after flight data showed an American military aircraft flew to the Russian capital, where a US diplomatic motorcade was later spotted. CBS News quoted sources familiar with the situation as confirming…
CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly made an unannounced visit to Moscow, according to US media reports. The visit is believed to be Ratcliffe's first as CIA chief, with sources confirming the trip to CBS News and Axios. The US administration reportedly requested a temporary halt to long-range strikes on major Russian cities by Kyiv during the visit.
However, no official statement was issued by the CIA or the White House. Flightradar24 data indicated that a US military C-17 aircraft traveled from Maryland to Moscow, with the C-17 being used for strategic and tactical airlift missions. The visit coincides with stalled US-brokered talks on ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Moscow previously released a detained former US Marine in 2022, and Ratcliffe's visit may be related to the ongoing prisoner exchanges between the two countries.
Some speculation has centered around the war in Iran, which continues to be a point of contention between Moscow and Washington. The US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, announced new economic sanctions targeting Iran on Monday.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian US's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- US spy chief John Ratcliffe on Russia visit, US media reports scmp.com
- CIA director makes unannounced visit to Russia thehill.com
- CIA director Ratcliffe visits Moscow, US media reports france24.com
- CIA director Ratcliffe arrives in Moscow on secret visit, US reports claim euronews.com
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe on secret trip in Russia cbsnews.com
- CIA Director visits Russia for talks – media en.interfax.com.ua
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Russia on secret trip – CBS News ukrinform.net
- CIA director travels to Moscow in his first known Russia trip, CBS News reports kyivindependent.com
