CIA chief met Russian intelligence services but not Putin, Kremlin says

The head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Ratcliffe, met with Russian intelligence services during his unannounced visit to Moscow, according to the Kremlin. Ratcliffe made the trip to the Russian capital on Tuesday. His press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed that contacts were made, but emphasized that there were no meetings with Russia's president, Vladimir Putin.

Peskov stated that Putin is immediately briefed on all matters. Peskov also declined to disclose the specifics of the discussions. The meeting's impact on improving US-Russian relations remains uncertain, as Peskov noted that it is too early to gauge the effects. Nonetheless, Peskov considered contacts between intelligence agencies to be a positive development, even in strained diplomatic relations.

This marks one of the highest-ranking US officials to visit Russia during President Donald Trump's second term. The last time a CIA director visited Moscow was in November 2021, when William Burns cautioned Russia against deploying troops into Ukraine, leading to Russia's subsequent invasion of Ukraine. Since then, bilateral relations have deteriorated significantly, with sanctions and diplomatic tensions escalating.