Zelensky and CIA Director Ratcliffe hold informal talks in Ireland en route to Trump meeting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly spoke informally with CIA Director John Ratcliffe at Ireland's Shannon Airport, according to Reuters sources, less than a month after Ratcliffe's first trip to Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, traveling to New York for a scheduled September 22 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, made an informal stop at Ireland's Shannon Airport, where he spoke with CIA Director John Ratcliffe while their planes were being refueled. Reuters reported the encounter citing two sources, though the content of their conversation remains unknown.
The meeting came less than a month after Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow, where he reportedly met with senior Russian intelligence officials. The Kremlin said at the time that Ratcliffe had no direct contact with Vladimir Putin. What message he carried to Moscow is unclear, but a Reuters source said the talks touched on Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Financial Times has described Ratcliffe as a key new U.S. negotiator on the Ukraine war, a characterization the White House has denied.
Around the same period, the Kremlin said peace talks involving the United States, Russia, and Ukraine could resume in October.
