US spy chief John Ratcliffe on Russia visit, US media reports
US CIA Director John Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow on Tuesday for meetings with Russian officials, US media outlets reported, citing unnamed sources. The visit would be the first known visit to the Russian capital by a US spy chief since Ratcliffe’s predecessor, William Burns, held talks with Vladimir Putin in November 2021. About three months after that meeting, the Russian president launched…
US CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow, Russia, but did not have a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The trip, described as "semi-routine" by US President Donald Trump, occurred amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine and stalled efforts for lasting peace between the US and Iran.
Peskov confirmed that Russian intelligence officials met with Ratcliffe but refrained from disclosing the topics discussed during the visit. Trump, during a radio interview, hinted that the trip might yield positive results and emphasized the ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Notably, Ratcliffe's predecessor William Burns had a similar meeting with Putin in November 2021, three months after the war began.
Peskov suggested that intelligence agency contacts between the US and Russia are beneficial, even in difficult periods, but acknowledged that it is premature to predict their overall impact on improving bilateral relations.
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