CIA Director John Ratcliffe is reportedly in Moscow for meetings with Russian officials.
The visit, his first known trip to Russia as CIA chief, comes amid stalled US-led diplomatic efforts on the Ukraine war.
Ratcliffe has previously maintained communication channels with Russian intelligence officials and worked on prisoner exchange negotiations.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe On A Secret Visit To Russia: Reports
This is believed to be Ratcliffe’s first trip to Moscow as CIA director, he has maintained communication channels with Russian intelligence officials.
Summary
CIA Director John Ratcliffe is currently in Moscow for meetings with Russian officials, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News on Tuesday, in what is reportedly his first known visit to Russia since becoming head of the US intelligence agency.
The visit has not been officially acknowledged by either Washington or Moscow. However, speculation about a high-level US presence in the Russian capital grew after a US Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft was seen at a Moscow airport along with a US diplomatic motorcade.
The CIA has not issued any statement on Ratcliffe’s travel or the purpose of the meetings.
Ratcliffe’s visit comes at a time when diplomatic efforts between the US, Russia and Ukraine remain active but have made limited progress, with major disagreements continuing over the terms of any possible peace agreement.
Although this is believed to be Ratcliffe’s first trip to Moscow as CIA director, he has maintained communication channels with Russian intelligence officials.
The CIA has also been involved in recent US-Russia prisoner negotiations. Ratcliffe played a role in talks that led to the April 2025 release of US-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina.
The agency was also part of negotiations behind the 2024 prisoner exchange that secured the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan.
The last publicly known visit by a serving CIA director to Moscow was made by William Burns in November 2021.
Burns travelled to Russia months before Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and met senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, to warn against military escalation.
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