The White House is facing scrutiny after the CIA director made a mysterious visit to Moscow on Tuesday, the first visit by a chief of the intelligence agency in nearly five years. The US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew into Moscow from Latvia before landing at the capital’s Vnukovo International Airport on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he did not have any information about the visit, while President Donald Trump stayed uncharacteristically silent on the matter.
On Tuesday, US media reported that that CIA director John Ratcliffe was on board the aircraft - but no further details were briefed on the purpose of his visit. On Wednesday, Peskov said that Ratcliffe held talks with intelligence officials but did not meet President Vladimir Putin. He said it was too early to say whether the discussions could pull US-Russia relations out of what he called a “deep crisis”.
The last time a CIA director visited Russia was William Burns in November 2021, shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine to warn them against the move. This visit is thought to be the new spy chief’s first to the country after his appointment by Trump in January 2025. Experts have suggested that the discussions held are likely to be extremely important.
The Independent looks at what may have been on the table. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that US intelligence assessments had indicated that Putin could test Nato’s resolve with a limited assault on an allied country over the coming years. Several possible scenarios had been posited from cyber-attacks to a small-scale land incursion, according to the report.
It also said that the US had collected intelligence showing preparations by Russia for a military mobilisation in Ukraine. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, several countries have experienced airspace violations and have accused Moscow of testing their response. Earlier this month, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said he had sent the American state department questions “on the matter of intelligence data and the fact that the US is far more deeply involved in organising and executing strikes deep within Russian territory.” The meeting could also centre on this issue, with Russia seeking guarantees or other reassurances about the extent of US involvement in Ukraine.
Particularly as Peskov made explicit mention of a “deep crisis” in relations between the countries. But Bielieskov says that such accusations have abounded ever since the invasion with tension being present since 2014, due to the US administration’s generally vocal support for Ukraine. Experts have also speculated that the visit could be to do with reports of Russian support for Iran particularly as the US tightens sanctions against Tehran and issues economic threats against trading partners, which includes Russia.
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