Trump Says US Is ‘Working Very Hard’ to End War in Ukraine Amid CIA Chief’s Visit to Moscow

On August 26, 2022, US President Donald Trump claimed during an interview that the United States was "working very hard" to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. This assertion came in the wake of CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow on Tuesday, August 25. In a segment on the Glenn Beck program, Trump characterized Ratcliffe's trip as "very semi-routine," yet he expressed optimism that the visit could yield results in ending the conflict.

Ratcliffe, who arrived in Moscow for meetings with Russian officials, was the highest-ranking US official to visit Moscow since the beginning of the year. His visit followed flight-tracking data that indicated a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft journeyed from the US to Latvia and then continued to Moscow. The aircraft was reportedly seen at a Moscow airport alongside a US diplomatic motorcade, a fact that was confirmed by CBS News.

The Kremlin disclosed that Ratcliffe engaged in communications between US and Russian intelligence services, though he did not meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the exact purpose of the discussions with the Russian officials remains undisclosed, the trip has sparked speculation that it could have related to the ongoing war in Ukraine or even a potential ceasefire in Iran.

Former US Deputy Director of National Intelligence Beth Sanner suggested that the talks may have been an attempt to "warn" Russia against any plans.

The visit also coincided with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordering a surprise combat-readiness inspection of the country's armed forces, a development that occurred around the same time as Ratcliffe's arrival in Moscow.