NYT: CIA chief did not threaten Russia with consequences during Moscow visit

According to The New York Times, citing current and former US officials, CIA Director John Ratcliffe did not voice any threats about possible consequences for Russia during his visit to Moscow, even as he addressed the prospect of Vladimir Putin continuing the war against Ukraine.

During talks with Federal Security Service (FSB) chief Alexander Bortnikov, the CIA director reportedly gave a pessimistic assessment of how the fighting is going for the Russian military. Ratcliffe urged the Kremlin to begin real negotiations to end the war before Russia's military and economic position deteriorates further. However, he did not spell out any consequences should Putin ignore this assessment and choose to keep fighting.

The newspaper notes that American intelligence analysts have long suspected that Putin's advisers may not be giving him honest reports on the scale of Russian losses and the true state of affairs on the ground. Washington reportedly hopes that Putin, himself a former intelligence officer, will treat information delivered directly by the CIA chief as more urgent and credible than routine diplomatic signals.

The report states that Ratcliffe's communication channel with Bortnikov operates in parallel with contacts that US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have established with other Putin advisers. Despite hopes among parts of Donald Trump's circle for a quick Russian victory, heavy Russian military losses and Ukraine's continued resolve to fight have shifted Washington's assessment of the situation.

Before meeting Bortnikov, Ratcliffe reportedly spoke with his Ukrainian counterparts, assuring them he would study the Russian side's positions rather than make concessions on Ukraine's behalf.

News of Ratcliffe's secret trip to Moscow to meet Russian leadership first emerged on August 25. Previously, in November 2021, then-CIA Director William Burns traveled to Moscow to personally warn Russian leadership against launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In November 2022, Burns met Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin in Ankara following intercepted data about possible Russian use of nuclear weapons.