MOSCOW: US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials during his visit to Moscow on Tuesday but did not meet President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
The Kremlin spokesman told reporters that Putin had been briefed on the outcome of Ratcliffe’s talks, which come as the war in Ukraine is escalating and as efforts to reach a lasting peace deal between the US and Iran have stalled.
However, Peskov declined to disclose what had been discussed or to provide any further details.
“All I can tell you is that there have been contacts via the security services. I can tell you that there have been no meetings with the Russian president. Naturally, President Putin is kept informed of everything without delay,” said Peskov.
CIA chief John Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials in Moscow but did not meet President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says. pic.twitter.com/Gqj043DR9I
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) August 26, 2026
Asked if visits by such senior US officials could help improve the dire state of US-Russia relations, Peskov said that contacts between the two countries’ intelligence agencies were a positive thing.
“These contacts often continue even during the most difficult periods in bilateral relations. Our president, incidentally, has spoken about this. However, it is still too early to say to what extent this will, overall, help to steer our bilateral relations out of the profound crisis in which they currently find themselves,” he said.
CIA chief’s visit to Moscow
CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow on Tuesday for meetings, US media reported.
The purpose of the visit was not immediately clear, and there was no immediate comment from the CIA or the White House when contacted by AFP.
Also Read: CIA Chief Ratcliffe Visits Moscow: US media
CBS News quoted sources familiar with the matter as confirming Ratcliffe’s trip, while Axios separately reported on the visit quoting two US officials.
NEW: CIA director Ratcliffe is visiting Moscow today for talks with Russian officials https://t.co/c4K2h8GW9W
— Axios (@axios) August 25, 2026
Data from tracking site Flightradar24 had earlier shown a US military C-17 travelling from the United States to Latvia and then on to Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.
The data showed the same plane leaving Moscow several hours later.
The reported visit comes amid escalating tensions in the Ukraine war, and as US-brokered talks aimed at ending the four-and-a-half year conflict remain at a standstill.
The United States and Russia have also reached an impasse on nuclear arms control — their last nuclear arms limitation treaty, New START, expired in February.
