CIA director Ratcliffe visits Moscow
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The gist
CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Russian officials. This rare, unannounced trip comes as Ukraine peace talks stall and tensions with Iran rise.
Background
Ratcliffe's visit is his first known trip to Russia since becoming CIA director under President Trump. It comes as efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine have stalled and as tensions over Moscow's relationship with Iran have intensified. The U.S. asked Ukraine to suspend strikes in Russia ahead of the visit.
How it unfolded
- Aug 25, 2026CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow, arriving aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 that departed from Joint Base Andrews with a stopover in Latvia. He met with Russian officials for about four hours.
- Aug 25, 2026The U.S. informed Ukraine of the senior delegation's travel and asked Kyiv to suspend strikes until the delegation left, according to sources.
- Aug 25, 2026The visit became public after flight tracking data and a motorcade sighting; U.S. officials confirmed Ratcliffe's presence, though the CIA declined to comment.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- A U.S. official confirmed the trip but declined to share the substance of the meetings.
- Expert
- Bradley Bowman of FDD said he hoped Ratcliffe would demand that Putin end the war of naked aggression against Ukraine.
- Caution
- Some observers expressed skepticism and criticism, suggesting possible secretive dealings between Trump and Putin.
Still unverified
The purpose of Ratcliffe's meetings was not disclosed. Speculation that embassy flags were removed due to the visit is unconfirmed; the footage does not establish that all flags were removed.