Naryshkin Reveals Content of Secret Meeting with CIA Director in Moscow for the First Time: 'Normal Practice'

The Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergey Naryshkin, publicly confirmed the fact of a personal meeting with the Director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe, which took place in Moscow this week. According to the head of Russian foreign intelligence, the parties discussed matters falling within the competence of the intelligence services of the two states. Naryshkin emphasized that such contacts are a standard element of diplomatic and operational interaction between intelligence agencies of different countries.

'Normal Practice' and 'Working Format'

Commenting on the nature of the contact that took place, Naryshkin used the formulation that meetings between intelligence services of various states constitute 'normal practice.' At the same time, a number of Russian publications, citing the same words of the SVR director, conveyed his assessment as a 'working format' of interaction. Both definitions underscore the routine, non-extraordinary nature of such negotiations and are aimed at reducing the resonance around the secret visit of the American intelligence chief to the Russian capital.

Ratcliffe's Secret Visit and the Kremlin's Reaction

As previously reported, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unscheduled and unannounced visit to Moscow this week. Negotiations with representatives of Russian intelligence services were held in a closed format. Later, the Kremlin disclosed general details of the talks that took place, however, the specific topics and any agreements reached (if any) were not officially published. It is in this context that Naryshkin's public statement on August 27, 2026 became the first direct confirmation by the Russian side of the fact of a personal meeting between the two intelligence chiefs.

Contradictory Data

There is a slight discrepancy between various sources in characterizing the meeting. In his initial statement, Naryshkin, according to a number of agencies, called intelligence service contacts 'normal practice.' At the same time, the publication 'Novaya Gazeta Europe' in the headline and body of its article conveys the words of the SVR director as a 'working format.' Both definitions do not contradict each other in substance, however, they differ in emphasis: 'normal practice' underscores the regularity and normativity of such meetings, while 'working format' points to the businesslike, operational nature of the discussion. In addition, the exact date of Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow is not recorded in open sources — only 'this week' is indicated, which leaves a small range of a few days.

Context and Significance of the Contacts

The confirmation of a meeting at the level of intelligence service directors is significant against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions. The formulation 'matters falling within the competence of intelligence services,' used by Naryshkin, is a standard diplomatic caveat that does not allow the content of the negotiations to be disclosed, but at the same time signals the existence of an active communication channel between the intelligence services of the two countries. Experts note that the public confirmation of the meeting by Moscow, rather than Washington, may indicate the Russian side's desire to demonstrate control over the agenda and the manageability of the communication channel.