CIA Head’s Visit to Moscow Was ‘Semi-Routine’, Says Trump – BBC News
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Trump says ‘something may come out of’ CIA head’s unannounced visit to Moscow
Image: EPA
Image caption: CIA director John Ratcliffe pictured in Washington earlier this year
By Gabriela Pomeroy
Published 26 August 2026, 12:27 BST
Updated 6 minutes ago
Donald Trump has stated "something may come out of" Tuesday’s unannounced meeting between the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and figures from Russia’s intelligence services.
There has been speculation surrounding why John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on Tuesday, arriving on a military plane and departing hours later.
The US president did not disclose details regarding what was discussed during the unconventional talks but characterized the meeting as "semi-routine", adding that Washington "would like to see the war in Ukraine end."
This type of high-level interaction is reminiscent of the meetings preceding the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin confirmed Ratcliffe’s visit, stating he did not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"There were contacts with the intelligence services," Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "There were no meetings with the president of Russia. That’s all I can say on the subject."
In response to a question from a reporter at Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Peskov further stated that Putin was immediately briefed about the meeting, though he declined to provide further details.
"I have nothing to add to what I’ve already said on the subject," Peskov replied when asked by BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg about the CIA discussions’ topic.
Peskov noted that contacts between intelligence agencies are "a positive phenomenon, a positive process", often continuing "even during the most difficult moments" in bilateral relations.
Prior to Ratcliffe’s trip, the US informed Ukraine of a senior delegation’s travel to Moscow and requested a suspension of Ukrainian strikes until their departure, according to a senior Ukrainian official.
No official comment regarding Ratcliffe’s visit has been issued by the CIA, White House, or Pentagon.
Ratcliffe appears to be one of the highest-ranking US officials to visit Russia during President Donald Trump’s second term. The last CIA director to visit Moscow was in November 2021 when William Burns warned Russia against sending troops into Ukraine; weeks later, the Kremlin launched its full-scale war on Ukraine.
Since then, US-Russia relations have been strained, with Russia facing international economic sanctions and isolation on the global stage.
John Foreman, a former British military attachรฉ to Moscow (2019-2022), commented: "The Americans don’t normally send such a high ranking official to Moscow unannounced at short notice unless something is up."
