CIA Chief Meets Russian Intelligence Services, Kremlin Confirms
The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Ratcliffe, has had talks with Russia's intelligence services during an unannounced visit to Moscow on Tuesday, according to the Kremlin.
"There were contacts with the intelligence services," Vladimir Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters. "There were no meetings with the president of Russia... Naturally, President Putin is briefed immediately about everything."
Peskov made these comments in response to a question from a reporter at Rossiyskaya Gazeta regarding the level of discussions and their topics. When asked by the BBC's Russia Editor, Steve Rosenberg, for further details, Peskov declined to provide additional information.
This meeting is notable as it appears to be one of the highest-level US official visits to Russia during President Donald Trump's second term. In-person talks between high-ranking American and Russian officials are scarce, with the last CIA director visit in November 2021, preceding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The recent meeting comes amid strained relations between the two countries, following Russia's isolation and economic sanctions. US officials had warned Ukraine to suspend strikes until a senior delegation left Moscow.