August 25, 2026 · Foreign Policy, War & National Security
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CIA Director John Ratcliffe Flew to Moscow Unannounced, and the Kremlin Says He Met Russian Intelligence Officials
CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on Aug. 25 for previously unannounced meetings, sources told CBS News, which first reported the trip. A U.S. Air Force C-17 was spotted flying into a Moscow airport that morning and a U.S. diplomatic motorcade was seen in the city. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the next day that Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials and did not meet President Vladimir Putin, though Putin was briefed. The CIA declined to comment.
It is the first known visit to Russia by a sitting CIA director since William Burns went in November 2021, and it took place with no public notice. Ahead of the trip, the U.S. told Ukrainian officials a senior delegation would travel to Moscow and asked Kyiv to suspend strikes until it left, a senior Ukrainian official said.
Peskov said it was too early to say whether the meeting would ease what he called a "deep crisis" in bilateral relations. The purpose of the trip has not been officially disclosed.
It is the first known visit to Russia by a sitting CIA director since William Burns went in November 2021, and it took place with no public notice. Ahead of the trip, the U.S. told Ukrainian officials a senior delegation would travel to Moscow and asked Kyiv to suspend strikes until it left, a senior Ukrainian official said.
Peskov said it was too early to say whether the meeting would ease what he called a "deep crisis" in bilateral relations. The purpose of the trip has not been officially disclosed.