Zelensky says US briefed Ukraine on Moscow talks

On August 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine announced that his nation had received a briefing from the U.S. regarding recent meetings held in Moscow. Zelensky expressed gratitude for the information and commended the realistic perspective Washington presented for resolving Russia's war against Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader stated that Kyiv welcomed the U.S. vision for ending the conflict, emphasizing the importance of Russia ceasing its military operations and creating conditions for peace.

Earlier in the day, former CIA Director John Ratcliffe had traveled to Moscow to engage in a series of meetings with Russian officials. Ukraine had previously stated that it had not yet received details about the trip's contents or outcomes from the U.S. side, despite an earlier pledge from Washington to share this information. This discrepancy arose after Donald Trump, the U.S. President, described Ratcliffe's visit as "semi-routine" on August 26.

Trump dismissed rumors that the trip was intended to warn Russia against potential actions against NATO countries.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on the same day that Ratcliffe did not have a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, Putin was briefed on the details of the discussions. Peskov described the interactions between U.S. and Russian intelligence agencies as "positive developments." Following Ratcliffe's visit, Ukraine was instructed to refrain from striking Moscow and St. Petersburg while he was in Russia, according to an informed source.