The Kremlin said CIA Director Ratcliffe visited Moscow, but did not meet President Putin but held talks with Russian intelligence officials.
“There were discussions between intelligence officials, but he did not have any meetings with President Vladimir Putin,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on August 26 about CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow.
Mr. Peskov added that President Putin was informed about the content of Mr. Ratcliffe’s talks with Russian intelligence officials, but refused to reveal whether the issue of the Ukraine conflict was mentioned by both sides.
“Maintaining contact through intelligence agencies is itself a positive signal. It is too early to say how this will impact the process of resolving the crisis in relations between the two sides,” said Mr. Peskov.
Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John Ratcliffe in Washington on March 19. Image: AFP
When asked about Mr. Ratcliffe’s surprise visit to Moscow, US President Donald Trump said this was a “semi-routine” mission in Russia. The term “semi-routine” is used to refer to activities that rely on available communication channels, but do not take place on a regular schedule, but arise according to the situation.
“I hate to disappoint people. We want to see the war with Ukraine end,” Mr. Trump added.
Kyiv Independent Previously, citing anonymous sources, the US had asked Ukraine to halt attacks on Moscow and the city of St. Petersburg before Mr. Ratcliffe’s trip. The source said Ukraine will be informed about the CIA Director’s meetings in Russia.
The last time a CIA director came to Russia was in November 2021, just a few months before President Vladimir Putin ordered the operation in Ukraine. Then-CIA Director William Burns met with Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council at the time.
Since his appointment in January 2025, Mr. Ratcliffe has maintained regular contact with Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergey Naryshkin.
President Trump has pledged to mediate to end the Ukraine conflict. However, he has had difficulty bringing Moscow and Kiev to a compromise, in the context of both sides increasing air strikes against targets deep in each other’s territory this summer.