- Data from *Flightradar24* showed a US military C-17 plane travelling to Latvia and then on to Moscow; reports said Ratcliffe was on that plane but the purpose was not disclosed.
- The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin had been informed about CIA chief John Ratcliffe's visit to the country.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Ratcliffe had "contacts" with Russia's special services during his first Moscow trip as CIA chief but did not speak to Putin.
- Peskov called the US spy chief's talks with Russian intelligence a "positive development".
- Peskov had earlier told *Reuters* that Putin did not plan to have a meeting with Ratcliffe.
- The trip would be the first known visit to Moscow by a US spy chief since William Burns held talks with Putin in November 2021; about three months later, Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine.
- According to a Reuters report, the US had asked Ukraine to avoid air strikes near Moscow, St. Petersburg, and northern Russia for three days because a senior US official was traveling to Moscow, to reduce risks during the visit.
CIA chief John Ratcliffe's recent visit to Moscow marks a significant moment in US-Russia relations. The Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin was aware of Ratcliffe's trip, which included discussions with Russian intelligence agencies but did not involve a meeting with the president himself.3
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, "There were contacts through the intelligence agencies, but there were no meetings of any kind with the Russian president." He further characterized the talks as a 'positive development.' This visit is notable as it is the first by a US spy chief since Ratcliffe's predecessor, William Burns, met with Putin in November 2021, shortly before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.45678
The purpose of Ratcliffe's visit remains undisclosed, but reports indicate that a US military C-17 plane was tracked traveling to Moscow after a stop in Latvia. Additionally, the US had previously requested Ukraine to refrain from air strikes near major Russian cities during Ratcliffe's visit to mitigate risks.12
This diplomatic engagement comes at a time of heightened tensions between the US and Russia, making the nature of these discussions particularly critical for future relations.
“The visit marks the first known trip to Moscow by a US spy chief since William Burns met Putin in November 2021, about three months before the invasion of Ukraine. The US reportedly asked Ukraine to avoid air strikes near Moscow and St. Petersburg for three days to reduce risks during the visit.”
