Mystery, doubts and conflicting versions: Why did the director of the CIA travel to Russia?

Sources linked to Ratcliffe’s trip provided some details to Political, CBS y The Wall Street Journal. Ratcliffe also pressed Russia to reduce military and economic support to Iran and warned of additional sanctions if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened to maritime traffic, according to the sources.

The secret visit to the Russian capital came to light on Tuesday, after a US Air Force plane was seen at a Moscow airport and a diplomatic entourage passed through the city.

It is Ratcliffe’s first known visit to Russia as CIA director. Ukraine was informed that a US delegation would travel to Moscow and was asked to suspend attacks during the visit, according to a senior Ukrainian official.

The CIA declined to comment on the reasons for the US intelligence chief’s trip, but the president Donald Trump confirmed the visit in a radio interview on Wednesday, but said it was not related to Iran or Russian desires to test NATO, describing it as a “semi-routine” trip.

Trump said “something could come out” of Ratcliffe’s visit and reiterated his desire to end Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Thursday that Ratcliffe spoke with Russian intelligence officials but did not meet with President Vladimir Putin. Peskov dismissed media reports about the purpose of Radcliffe’s trip.

“A lot of these scary stories are being published right now. Of course, they have nothing to do with reality,” Peskov said, adding that Russia “faces a very aggressive policy against it from European countries.”

US intelligence assessments revealed by The Wall Street Journal and CBS weeks ago warned that Putin was willing to authorize certain limited provocative actions in some countries that are NATO territory, including cyber attacks, hybrid actions and other operations that do not reach conventional military action.

The sources cited by Politico mentioned Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania as possible targets. The likely goal would not necessarily be to spark a war, but to test NATO unity and the Trump administration’s willingness to defend its allies, with which it is in continuing tension, according to US officials.

Some recent actions by Russia have raised concerns, officials said, including drone raids in Romania, a Russian missile that crossed Poland last month and an increase in alleged sabotage actions and cyberattacks in Europe.

Under Article 5 of the treaty that created NATO, alliance members are expected to defend each other if attacked, a provision the U.S. invoked after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But Trump has long questioned NATO and criticized member states, accusing them of not contributing enough to their own defense.

Regarding the war in Iran, Russia maintained its partnership with the Iranian regime during the 7-month-old war between the US and Tehranproviding intelligence to Iran about US positions in the region. Both countries have also cooperated in the manufacturing of drones.

Trump seeks to definitively end this conflict and definitively reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but so far he has not been able to. The most recent strategy is to try to economically suffocate Iran and sanction countries that trade with the regime.

Ratcliffe’s visit was the first known trip of its kind to the Russian capital by a CIA director during the Trump presidency. In late 2021, President Joe Biden’s then-spy chief Bill Burns had traveled to warn President Putin not to invade Ukraine. But Russian forces crossed the border three months later and the war still continues.