During a recent visit to Moscow, CIA Director John Ratcliffe personally engaged in diplomatic efforts to restore negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. This visit marks Ratcliffe’s inaugural participation in discussions aimed at reviving peace talks, according to reports.
Sources speaking to Axios indicated that part of Ratcliffe’s mission was to assess whether Russian intelligence leaders could persuade President Vladimir Putin to agree to negotiations with Kyiv, facilitated by Washington.
On August 28, U.S. officials briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about Ratcliffe’s discussions in Moscow, which included a proposal for a trilateral summit. The New York Times reported that Ratcliffe provided a grim assessment of Russia’s position in the ongoing war against Ukraine to Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB. He urged the need for an agreement before Russia’s situation deteriorates further.
According to Axios, Ratcliffe concluded that Bortnikov is a “constructive player” capable of aiding in the reestablishment of diplomatic efforts.
Context
- Ratcliffe made a covert, unannounced visit to Moscow on August 25, reportedly spending only a few hours there.
- The Kremlin referred to his arrival as part of “contacts between intelligence services”, while former President Donald Trump characterized the trip as “semi-routine”. However, experts agree that the visit was anything but ordinary, given that U.S. and Russian intelligence agencies regularly exchange information without the need for such meetings, especially amid ongoing conflict.
- During Ratcliffe’s visit, Putin signed three secret decrees that have not yet been published on Russia’s legal information portal, according to Russian media; the content of these decrees remains unknown.
