CIA chief in Russian capital, WSJ: Gave Moscow a signal not to strike NATO allies

The surprise visit by Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe to the Russian capital is believed to have served as a clear signal to Moscow to refrain from any form of aggression against NATO member states.

According to information obtained from people familiar with the trip, The Wall Street Journal recalls that the mission took place at a time when U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded that Vladimir Putin could seek to test the cohesion of the military alliance through a limited operation against a member state within the next few years.

During his visit to Moscow, Ratcliffe sat down for talks with senior Russian intelligence officials but avoided a one-on-one meeting with President Vladimir Putin, a detail that was also confirmed by the Kremlin itself. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that the president had been promptly briefed on the results of the previously undisclosed trip, but did not elaborate on the issues discussed.

“Contacts took place through security channels. What I can tell you is that there was no meeting with the Russian leader. Of course, President Putin is kept up to date without delay on every development,” Peskov said.

Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, did not provide a definitive explanation for the purpose of Ratcliffe’s mission either. Speaking on a radio program on Wednesday, Trump described the visit as “partly routine,” leaving open the possibility that the engagement could produce concrete benefits.

“Maybe something good will come from this. We are making extraordinary efforts to end that war,” Trump said, referring to the conflict in Ukraine. The last time a CIA director set foot on Russian soil was in November 2021, when William Burns, Ratcliffe’s predecessor, held a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin.