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

The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Ratcliffe, met with Russia's intelligence services during his unannounced visit to Moscow, according to the Kremlin. Ratcliffe arrived in the Russian capital on Tuesday and held contacts with the intelligence services, though he did not meet with President Vladimir Putin, stated Dmitry Peskov, Putin's press secretary.

Peskov declined to disclose the topic of the meetings or detail the level at which they took place. He emphasized that it is too early to assess the impact of these interactions on the overall process of repairing US-Russia relations, which have been strained since the launch of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022. Peskov stated that contacts between intelligence agencies are a "positive phenomenon" and often continue even during difficult moments in bilateral relations.

The last time a CIA director visited Russia was in November 2021, when William Burns cautioned Russia against deploying troops into Ukraine, shortly before the Kremlin initiated its invasion. Since then, US-Russian relations have deteriorated, with the US facing international isolation and economic sanctions.