CIA Chief John Ratcliffe gave bleak assessment of Russia-Ukraine war, urged Moscow to strike a deal with Kyiv: Reports

CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a surprise visit to Moscow on August 25, 2022, where he shared his pessimistic outlook on the Russia-Ukraine conflict with Russian officials, according to The New York Times. The CIA chief's mission was to dissuade Russia from attacking a NATO member nation, likely Poland, as the Ukraine war continues.

Ratcliffe met with Aleksandr V. Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s FSB intelligence service, and urged them to reach a deal before their military and economic situations worsen. As the longest-serving US official to visit Russia since the start of the 2022 Ukraine war, Ratcliffe's predecessor, William Burns, had visited Moscow in November 2021 to dissuade Putin from invading Ukraine.

The war, which Russia estimates would last only a few days, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, yet the Kremlin continues to cling to maximalist demands for Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine. CIA analysts have doubts about the accuracy of Putin's advisers' assessments of the war's course and consequences. Ratcliffe did not threaten any repercussions if Putin ignored his assessment and continued fighting.

During his visit, Ratcliffe also discussed the Iran conflict, warning of further sanctions if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to shipping. Meanwhile, Russia's SVR head confirmed a working-level meeting with Ratcliffe to discuss sensitive matters within their intelligence services' scopes. The Kremlin dismissed US media reports of Russia potentially attacking NATO as "scare stories" with no basis in reality.

US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that Russia would not attack NATO territories, stating that President Putin has not agreed to do so.