Moscow confirms visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe

The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that US CIA Director John Ratcliffe had engaged in multiple high-level discussions in Moscow the prior day, though denied any meetings with President Vladimir Putin. According to Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Ratcliffe's conversations centered on security services. Peskov stated that Putin was promptly informed of the talks' content, yet did not participate.

He was uncertain if these discussions could improve US-Russian relations, which currently stand in a "profound crisis," and refused to comment on the group's potential discussion of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While several US media outlets reported on Ratcliffe's visit, the US administration has not yet commented on the trip.

Photos showed Ratcliffe's military plane landing in Latvia prior to the meetings. The last CIA director to visit Moscow was William Burns in November 2021, three months before Russia initiated its war against Ukraine in February 2022. On Tuesday, truce negotiations between the US and Iran were stalled, prompting Russia to offer to mediate the conflict.