CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare visit to Moscow for talks with Russian intelligence officials, according to the Kremlin. The secretive meeting comes as relations between Washington and Moscow remain deeply strained by the war in Ukraine and other international conflicts. Although officials have not revealed what was discussed, the unusual visit has raised questions about what urgent security issues may have brought the two sides together.
A Rare Meeting Behind Closed Doors
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Wednesday that Ratcliffe met with his Russian intelligence counterparts during the visit. Ratcliffe did not meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, although Putin was kept informed about the discussions.
“Of course, President Putin is immediately informed of everything,” Peskov said.
Russian state news agencies reported that a U.S. military plane landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Tuesday and departed later that day. The details of Ratcliffe’s meetings have not been made public.
President Donald Trump played down the importance of the trip, describing it as “sort of semi-routine.”
“I hate to disappoint people,” Trump said during an appearance on conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck’s radio show.
Ukraine Was Told About the Visit
The United States informed Ukraine that a delegation would be traveling to Moscow, according to a senior Ukrainian official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Washington also asked Kyiv to temporarily stop strikes in certain areas while the delegation was in Russia. The request covered Moscow, St. Petersburg and some northern regions, but it did not apply to all of Russia. Ukrainian attacks elsewhere continued during the visit.
The precaution highlighted the sensitive nature of sending a senior American intelligence official to the Russian capital while the war in Ukraine continues.
Relations Remain in a Deep Crisis
Despite the intelligence talks, Peskov warned against viewing Ratcliffe’s trip as proof of a major improvement in relations between the two countries.
Peskov said that “contacts between intelligence agencies are, in and of themselves, a positive phenomenon, a positive process.” However, he said U.S.-Russia relations remain in a “profound crisis.”
He added that it was “too early to say” whether Ratcliffe’s visit would have any wider effect on relations between Washington and Moscow.
Ties between the two countries fell to some of their lowest levels since the Cold War following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Relations appeared to improve somewhat after Trump returned to office, including several conversations between Trump and Putin, but efforts to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine have largely stalled.
Intelligence Channels Stay Open During Crises
While a CIA director traveling to Moscow is unusual, intelligence contacts between the two countries have continued even during periods of serious political tension.
Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russia’s security services, told AP that visits like Ratcliffe’s do not “happen every year.”
Communication channels between U.S. and Russian intelligence agencies have existed for decades. They can allow the two governments to communicate when American or Russian lives may be at risk or when other urgent national security issues arise.
In 2021, then-CIA Director William Burns traveled to Moscow months before Russia invaded Ukraine. Burns later met Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, in Turkey in November 2022. That meeting included a U.S. warning against Russia using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
Soldatov said meetings of this type usually happen when there is an urgent national security concern and when talks are in “American national interests.”
Iran Adds Another Layer to the Talks
The visit also comes as Washington faces a separate conflict involving Iran, one of Russia’s important partners in the Middle East.
Russia and Iran signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in January 2025. Their military relationship also grew after Iran provided Russia with Shahed drones following the invasion of Ukraine and later licensed their production inside Russia. At the same time, Moscow has maintained working relations with Israel.
AP previously reported that Russia provided Iran with information that could help Tehran target American military assets in the region, according to U.S. intelligence described by two officials. Those officials said U.S. intelligence had not found evidence that Russia was directing Iran on how to use that information.
Soldatov said it was possible Ratcliffe’s Moscow discussions involved efforts to protect American personnel, bases or facilities in the Middle East. However, officials have not confirmed that Iran was discussed during the meeting.
A Quiet Meeting With Wider Implications
Ratcliffe’s Moscow visit stands out because direct high-level contacts between the United States and Russia remain uncommon. Neither government has disclosed what was discussed, leaving the purpose of the talks largely behind closed doors.
Still, the meeting shows that intelligence channels between Washington and Moscow remain open despite disputes over Ukraine, Iran and other security issues. Whether the talks lead to broader diplomatic progress remains uncertain, but the visit demonstrates that both governments can still communicate when major national security interests are involved.
