Kremlin confirms talks with CIA Director John Ratcliffe
Russian government denies reports that US intelligence chief met with President Vladimir Putin
Quick Look
- The Kremlin confirmed that CIA Director John Ratcliffe held security talks in Moscow on Tuesday.
- Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Ratcliffe met with President Vladimir Putin, though Putin was briefed on the discussions.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The last visit by a CIA director to Moscow was by William Burns in November 2021, three months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday that US foreign intelligence chief John Ratcliffe had held a series of high-level talks the previous day in Moscow, but denied reports that he had spoken with President Vladimir Putin.
CIA Director Ratcliffe had "contacts between security services," according to Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Peskov said that President Putin had been "informed without delay" as to the content of the talks, but had not attended the meetings.
He added that he was unsure if the discussions could move US-Russian relations out of their current "profound crisis" and would not confirm if the group had discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Multiple US outlets reported on Ratcliffe's visit, but US President Donald Trump's administration has yet to comment on the trip. There were however photos of Ratcliffe's military plane landing in Latvia shortly before the meetings.
The last time a CIA director visited Moscow was Ratcliffe's predecessor William Burns in November 2021. Russia launched its war against Ukraine three months later in February 2022.
Tuesday's talks came as truce negotiations between the US and Iran have stalled. Moscow had previously offered to act as a broker between the two parties over the conflict.
Open Questions
- Did the discussions cover the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
- Will these talks improve US-Russian relations?
