CIA Director Ratcliffe Makes First-Ever Visit to Moscow

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has arrived in Moscow for the first time since taking office, CBS News reports. According to the broadcaster, he had previously maintained contact with his Russian intelligence counterparts but had not travelled to Russia in person until now.

US and Russian authorities have yet to officially confirm whether the CIA chief was aboard the same Boeing aircraft whose landing in Russia drew considerable media attention.

Visit amid stalled negotiations

Ratcliffe is travelling with a group of American diplomats. The trip comes at a time when US mediation efforts aimed at brokering peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have largely stalled, with the warring parties still far apart on key issues.

CIA's role in prisoner exchanges

The agency has previously helped arrange prisoner exchanges between Washington and Moscow. Ratcliffe personally negotiated the release of Ksenia Karelina, a dual US-Russian citizen, in April 2025. The CIA was also involved in the 2024 prisoner swap that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and US Marine veteran Paul Whelan.

His predecessor met Putin

The previous CIA director, William Burns, visited Moscow in November 2021, where he met with senior Russian officials and spoke personally with President Vladimir Putin, warning him at the time about a possible invasion of Ukraine.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz