(MOSCOW) – CIA Director John Ratcliffe has travelled to Moscow for unannounced talks, according to multiple sources in the United States. Neither Washington nor Moscow has confirmed the nature of the visit or whom he was due to meet.
Flight tracking data confirmed a large US military aircraft travelled to Russia from the United States via Latvia. Footage posted on social media showed the C-17 transport plane approaching Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport.
The aircraft departed Riga Airport at 05:50 GMT and appeared to have landed in the Russian capital at around 07:04 GMT, according to data from FlightRadar24. It returned to Riga shortly before 17:00 GMT. Footage on social media also purported to show a diplomatic motorcade travelling through Moscow.
Ahead of the trip, the US told Ukraine that a senior delegation would be travelling to Moscow and asked Kyiv to suspend strikes until they had left, a senior Ukrainian official said.
The visit marks the first known trip by a CIA director to Moscow since 2021, when then director William Burns travelled to the Russian capital in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin against invading Ukraine.
In person talks between high level American and Russian officials are rare. The last known visit occurred amid Russia’s military buildup along the Ukrainian border.
US officials privately confirmed the trip took place after social media footage of the aircraft and motorcade circulated widely. The C-17 military transporter was seen and recorded approaching the airport, with part of the journey from Latvia, a NATO ally, visible on public flight trackers.
The purpose of Ratcliffe’s visit remains unclear. President Donald Trump’s attempts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine appear stalled. Ratcliffe has previously been involved in talks with Russian intelligence officials over US Russia detainee exchanges.
Western intelligence officials have expressed growing concern about Russia’s hybrid or grey zone attacks into NATO countries, sometimes involving explosive laden drones or cyber warfare. Russia denies such activities. With Moscow under growing pressure from long range Ukrainian missile fire, there is concern in the West that the Russian dictator may attempt to escalate his way out of the current crisis.
The visit may therefore represent a warning from Washington to the Kremlin against actions targeting NATO. No official comment has been issued by the White House, the State Department, or the CIA. The Russian government has declined to comment.
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