#Ratcliffe

Putin's assistant Ushakov refuted Western media reports that the president refused to meet CIA director Ratcliffe, stating that no such plans existed. In Moscow, Ratcliffe met with the leadership of the Russian security services.

At the press conference following the SCO summit, Vladimir Putin stated that Ukraine talks are "effectively frozen," while calling Trump's envoys Witkoff and Kushner "always welcome guests" for Russia.

According to WSJ, CIA Director Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow was Trump's personal decision, kept secret even from his closest advisors. The key tasks were to confirm U.S. readiness to defend NATO allies and to outline a path to dialogue with Russia.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived secretly in Moscow on August 25 and personally delivered to FSB chief Bortnikov an assessment of the failure of the Russian offensive, urging the Kremlin to negotiate. The visit was the first in-person contact between the two intelligence chiefs in four years.

In an interview with Axios, Trump called CIA Director Ratcliffe's Moscow visit a "routine work trip" with no special message. Naryshkin confirmed the meeting, while Budanov reported that the war in Ukraine was discussed.

SVR Director Naryshkin confirmed a closed meeting with CIA Director Ratcliffe in Moscow. Behind the "routine," according to Western media, lay red lines on the Baltics, the peace track on Ukraine, and the Iranian knot.

SVR Director Sergey Naryshkin publicly confirmed for the first time a secret meeting with CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Moscow, calling such contacts 'normal practice' for the intelligence services of different countries.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow at Trump's directive. Newsweek named five possible reasons: from a warning about mobilization to a prisoner exchange and the Iran track.

In an interview with Glen Beck, Trump called CIA Director Ratcliffe's Moscow visit 'semi-routine' and dismissed versions about preparing strikes on NATO. Lithuania confirmed it knew about the trip in advance.

Kremlin spokesperson Peskov confirmed that Putin was briefed on the visit by CIA Director Ratcliffe to Moscow: there were no meetings with the president, and the topics of the talks are not being disclosed. Experts link the secret trip to intelligence on mobilization and plans to test NATO.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on 25 August without announcement aboard a C-17A aircraft. Peskov called the visit 'services contacts,' but media report a warning on mobilization and a request for a pause in strikes on 24–26 August.