Media: Russia’s Putin expected to meet CIA chief, but talks were called off

Russian President Vladimir Putin was initially prepared to meet with CIA Director John Ratcliffe during his visit to Moscow on August 25, but the talks ultimately did not take place.

The meeting was deemed inappropriate after Putin received a briefing on the position presented by the US official, “Agentstvo” reports, citing a source close to the Kremlin.

According to the source, Ratcliffe urged the Russian leadership to reach an agreement on ending the war as soon as possible. The CIA director reportedly based his position on the assessment that Russia’s military and economic situation was deteriorating, making it more advantageous for Moscow to reach a deal now.

During his visit, Ratcliffe met with Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Naryshkin and Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov. The contents of one of those meetings were subsequently conveyed to Putin, after which the decision was made to cancel the talks between the Russian president and the CIA director, the source added.

“His message seemed to suggest that Zelensky was already standing on Poklonnaya Hill and looking through binoculars at the Kremlin. Everyone understands that this is not the case,” the source said.

Ratcliffe visited Moscow on August 25, marking the first trip by a CIA director to the Russian capital since November 2021. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ratcliffe held talks with representatives of Russia’s security services.

US President Donald Trump described the visit as “semi-routine.”

By Jeyhun Aghazada