Report: Zelensky met CIA director in Ireland
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met CIA Director John Ratcliffe at Shannon Airport in Ireland, Reuters reports citing two sources.
Reuters, citing two sources, reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe at Shannon Airport in Ireland. One source said the meeting took place on Monday, while another said the two spoke while their planes were refueling, without specifying an exact date. Both sources declined to disclose details of the conversation.
Background
On August 25, it became known that Ratcliffe had visited Moscow. Three days later, Zelensky thanked the American side for the necessary tone in talks with Russia. Following Ratcliffe's visit, US President Donald Trump expressed hope that something could come out of the CIA director's trip to Moscow.
Media reports indicated that during his secret visit to Moscow, Ratcliffe had shared a pessimistic assessment of Russia's position in the war against Ukraine and urged the Russian side to reach a deal before its military and economic situation deteriorates further.
The Financial Times separately reported that Ratcliffe could take on a more prominent role in Washington's diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine, as the Trump administration considers reshuffling the composition and responsibilities of its negotiating team.
