CIA and Vatican visits converge in Moscow with messages on Ukraine
Ratcliffe delivered a bleak U.S. assessment and urged Moscow to start peace talks, while Putin canceled a planned meeting after learning the message.
- On August 25, CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow for talks with Russian intelligence officials, though President Vladimir Putin cancelled his scheduled meeting after learning Ratcliffe urged Russia to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
- Ratcliffe met with Foreign Intelligence Service head Sergey Naryshkin and Federal Security Service chief Alexander Bortnikov, reportedly sharing a "bleak assessment" of Russia's position and arguing the Kremlin would benefit from striking a peace deal now.
- An unnamed source close to the Kremlin mocked the director's message, claiming it sounded as though "Volodymyr Zelensky is already standing on Poklonnaya Hill, looking at the Kremlin through binoculars," adding, "It seems Ratcliffe got the wrong address."
- Lithuania President Gitanas Nausėda confirmed that allies were informed of the visit's nature, which aimed at "de-escalating tensions in the region," stating the meeting "met its objectives" and hoping the message reached the Kremlin.
- Ratcliffe's unannounced trip marked the first visit by a CIA head to Russia since the full-scale war began, though it remains unclear whether his position on the conflict reflects the official views of the White House.
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Vladimir Putin was initially prepared to meet with Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe during his visit to Moscow on August 25 and freed up his schedule for possible talks. However, when the Russian leader learned the content of the American's planned statement, the meeting was deemed inappropriate, according to a source close to the Kremlin, according to the Agentstvo portal.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin was set to meet with CIA Director John Ratcliffe last week, but he had bad news to bring, and so he decided to cancel the meeting, the Russian opposition website Agenstvo reported, citing a Kremlin source.
CIA Chief Told Moscow Russia Is Getting Weaker—Putin Reportedly Canceled Their Meeting
Russian leader Vladimir Putin reportedly canceled a planned meeting with CIA Director John Ratcliffe after learning that the US intelligence chief had come to Moscow with a blunt message: Russia’s military and economic position in its war against Ukraine is deteriorating, and the Kremlin would be better off making a deal now than waiting until it grows weaker. Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on August 25 and met with Foreign Intelligence Service ch…
CIA Director John Ratcliffe may have been in Moscow urging an end to the war. Putin was originally scheduled to meet with him, but the meeting was later canceled.
According to OSMI, John Ratcliffe came with a message about the end of the war.
Agenstvo: CIA director traveled to Moscow to urge peace talks. Putin planned to meet him but changed his mind.
Vladimir Putin had planned to meet with CIA Director John Ratcliffe during his August 25 visit to Moscow but called it off after learning the purpose of the trip, a source close to the Kremlin told the independent Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo.
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