CIA Director Visits Moscow as US Urges Ukraine to Pause Strikes: Report
CIA Director John Ratcliffe has made an unannounced trip to Moscow for talks with Russian officials, according to a report by CNN. The visit comes as the United States has reportedly asked Ukraine to temporarily halt drone and missile attacks on Moscow and other cities in northern Russia.
Citing unnamed sources, CNN reported that the request covered Monday through Wednesday. Kyiv was informed that a senior US official would be travelling to Russia during this period, though the exact nature of the talks has not been disclosed.
The unannounced visit occurs at a delicate moment for Washington's efforts to bring Moscow and Kyiv closer to a negotiated settlement. Neither the CIA nor the White House has officially confirmed the trip, and details remain scarce.
US Military Aircraft Lands in Moscow
Early on Tuesday, a US Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft landed at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. The aircraft appeared to have departed from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
A Latvian Defence Ministry spokesperson told CNN that the flight had been cleared to operate in the region. The spokesperson said the flight was “properly coordinated and authorised for operation within the airspace.”
Moscow-Tehran Ties Add Another Layer
Ratcliffe's visit comes a day after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled “Operation Economic Outcast,” a new campaign aimed at isolating Iran from the global economy. The strategy targets countries and entities that continue doing business with Tehran. Russia is among Iran's key strategic trading partners, adding geopolitical complexity to the CIA chief's presence in Moscow.
US Intelligence Warns of Potential Russian Moves
The trip also follows fresh US intelligence assessments suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin could test NATO's unity with a limited attack on one of its member states within the next few years, as reported by officials familiar with the assessments. The scenarios being examined range from cyberattacks and covert operations to a small-scale military incursion. These assessments remain speculative and are based on intelligence community analyses, not on any immediate announced action.
US-Russia Detainee Exchanges
Ratcliffe's direct engagement with Russian officials is not unprecedented. The CIA has played a role in several recent detainee exchanges between Washington and Moscow. Ratcliffe personally negotiated the April 2025 release of Ksenia Karelina, a US-Russian dual national. The agency was also involved in the 2024 prisoner swap that brought home Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan.
These exchanges have maintained a channel of communication between the two countries, even amid heightened tensions over the conflict in Ukraine.
The visit has not been officially announced by either government, and it remains unclear what specific topics were on the agenda. The US has not commented on the report, and Russian officials have likewise remained silent.
Diplomatic observers note that such unannounced visits are often used to convey sensitive messages or assess the other side's position away from public scrutiny. The reported request for Ukraine to pause strikes suggests Washington may be seeking to create conditions for dialogue, though no formal peace process has been announced.
This report is based on information provided by CNN and does not include direct confirmation from the CIA, the White House, or Russian authorities.
