US Media: CIA Director Ratcliffe Reportedly Visits Moscow
CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly traveled to Moscow on Tuesday for meetings, according to US media citing unnamed sources. The visit comes as US-brokered talks to end the war in Ukraine have stalled.
US outlets CBS News and Axios, citing unnamed sources, report that CIA Director John Ratcliffe attended meetings in Moscow on Tuesday. Ratcliffe previously served as President Donald Trump's director of national intelligence and now heads the nation's spy agency.
The reports do not specify who Ratcliffe met with or what topics were discussed. CBS News notes this would be his first known trip to Russia since becoming CIA director. Neither the CIA nor the White House has issued a comment on the reports.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar reportedly showed a US military C-17 aircraft flying from the United States to Latvia and then on to Moscow.
Context
The reported visit comes at a time when US-brokered negotiations aimed at ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine have stalled. Earlier this month, Moscow released a former US Marine who had been detained since 2022, amid concerns over his health.
At the same time, the war in Iran remains a pressing issue in relations between Washington and Moscow, which is an ally of Tehran.
