Moscow Confirms Visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe

Russian officials confirmed on Wednesday that US CIA Director John Ratcliffe had met with high-level security service representatives in Moscow the previous day, though denied reports of a conversation with President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin was promptly informed of the discussions' content but did not attend.

Peskov also expressed uncertainty about whether the meetings could improve US-Russian relations, which remain in a "profound crisis," and confirmed that the talks did not cover the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The visit comes as the Iran truce talks have hit a stalemate. Ratcliffe's aircraft landed in Latvia earlier, as seen in recent photos.

Ratcliffe succeeded William Burns as CIA director in November 2021, just three months before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The meetings occurred amid stalled truce negotiations between the US and Iran, for which Moscow had previously offered to mediate.