Finland's president backs CIA chief's secret Moscow visit

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has spoken approvingly of a secret visit to Moscow by CIA Director John Ratcliffe earlier this week, according to a report by Bild.

Stubb said he considers the visit a positive development, expressing confidence that dialogue is necessary. He added that it also makes sense for Americans and Russians to maintain contacts "in various formats," and voiced hope that American and Russian military officials are holding talks as well.

A call for Europe to engage

The Finnish president argued that Europe, too, should look for ways to restore dialogue with the Kremlin in order to better understand developments there, stressing the importance of communication at the political level. Stubb said his main concern about the current silence toward Russia is that it fosters illusions there about what is actually happening in Europe.

Background

Ratcliffe's trip to Moscow took place secretly earlier in the week. Following the visit, US President Donald Trump expressed hope that something might come of it. Media reports have also suggested that during his trip, Ratcliffe proposed arranging a trilateral meeting between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.