Ratcliffe’s Moscow visit may have emboldened Putin — report

CIA Director John Ratcliffe's recent visit to Moscow may have bolstered Russian President Vladimir Putin's resolve to continue the war against Ukraine, according to The Washington Post on September 4. In the ten days following Ratcliffe's surprise trip to Moscow, Russia has ramped up attacks using jet-powered drones and missiles against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

During a recent press conference responding to inquiries about the ongoing war, which has raged for four and a half years, Putin stated: "I have no doubt that the enemy will crumble." However, following the meetings, Ratcliffe felt he had communicated his intended message "but not moved the needle," a fourth person familiar with the situation said.

Russia perceived the visit as an effort to persuade Putin to cease the conflict, but Putin interpreted it as a display of weakness, according to a fourth person familiar with the matter. The Washington Post posited that Ratcliffe's visit did not persuade Putin that the war needed to end; rather, it may have incited the opposite reaction.

On August 25, news broke that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had covertly traveled to Moscow. The same day, numerous media outlets reported that the United States had requested Ukraine to cease striking Moscow, St. Petersburg, and northern Russia during the delegation's stay. The Wall Street Journal indicated that Ratcliffe may have traveled to Moscow to warn Putin, citing intelligence about Russian conscription preparations and a potential test of NATO's resilience.