CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on August 25 aboard a US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III military transport aircraft, marking an unannounced visit. Neither the CIA nor the Kremlin have confirmed the purpose of these discussions, suggesting coordination at the highest official levels between the two capitals. This visit follows the tradition of back-channel diplomacy between Washington and Moscow, exemplified by former director William Burns’s trip in November 2021, months before the invasion of Ukraine. The Trump administration, which took office in January 2025, has repeatedly expressed its desire to broker a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine, and this mission suggests intelligence channels are being leveraged as part of that effort.
Source: Read the original article
