CIA chief met Russian intelligence services but not Putin, Kremlin says

The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Ratcliffe, held meetings with Russian intelligence officials during an unannounced visit to Moscow, the Kremlin has confirmed.

Ratcliffe travelled to the Russian capital on Tuesday, arriving aboard a US military aircraft. The plane departed later the same day.

Neither Washington nor Moscow has provided details about why the CIA director travelled to Russia or what was discussed during the meetings.

The Kremlin confirmed that Ratcliffe met representatives of Russia's intelligence services but said he did not meet President Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there had been "contacts with the intelligence services" but no meeting with the Russian president.

Peskov added that Putin would have been informed about the meetings, saying the Russian president is briefed immediately on matters of this nature.

Talks could signal renewed contact

The visit is particularly notable because senior US intelligence officials rarely travel to Russia.

The last comparable visit by a CIA director took place in November 2021, when then-CIA director William Burns travelled to Moscow and warned Russian officials against sending troops into Ukraine.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine just months later.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have remained deeply strained since the invasion, with Russia facing extensive international sanctions and diplomatic isolation.

Peskov said it was too early to determine whether Ratcliffe's visit could contribute to efforts to repair relations between the two countries.

He described continued communication between intelligence agencies as a positive development, noting that such contacts can continue even during periods of severe diplomatic tension.

Ukraine was reportedly informed

Ahead of Ratcliffe's visit, the US reportedly informed Ukraine that a senior delegation would be travelling to Moscow and asked Kyiv to suspend strikes while the delegation was in Russia.

A senior Ukrainian official said the request was made before the visit.

There has been no official statement from the CIA, White House or Pentagon confirming the trip or explaining its purpose.

Ratcliffe appears to be among the highest-ranking US officials to visit Russia since Donald Trump returned to the White House for his second term.

Trump previously met Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska last year, but the meeting failed to produce a major breakthrough. Subsequent US-backed peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have since appeared to stall.

'Something is up'

John Foreman, who served as Britain's military attaché in Moscow between 2019 and 2022, said the unusual nature of the visit suggested that something significant may have prompted the trip.

"The Americans don't normally send such a high ranking official to Moscow unannounced at short notice unless something is up," he said.

The lack of information surrounding the talks means their purpose and potential consequences remain unclear. However, direct contact between senior US and Russian intelligence officials could prove significant as Washington continues efforts to navigate the war in Ukraine and the wider deterioration in US-Russian relations.