CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a previously unreported trip to Moscow this week to warn Russia against attacking NATO, according to multiple U.S. media reports. The visit, confirmed by the Wall Street Journal, Politico and CBS News, also touched on Iran, with Ratcliffe reportedly raising the threat of additional sanctions unless the Strait of Hormuz reopens to shipping.
U.S. Air Force jet spotted at a Moscow airport on Tuesday, followed by footage of a diplomatic motorcade moving through the city, first signaled Ratcliffe's surprise visit — his first publicly known trip to Russia as CIA chief. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the purpose was to warn Moscow against attacking NATO, citing unnamed sources briefed on the trip.
Iran sanctions also on the table
Politico and CBS News separately confirmed the same motive, citing people familiar with the matter. CBS News added that Ratcliffe also brought up Iran, warning of additional sanctions if the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen to shipping traffic. The Trump administration has threatened Iran's trading partners with secondary sanctions as it seeks to pressure Tehran's economy following six months of war between the U.S., Israel and Iran. China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey are known to be among Iran's top trading partners, while Russia has long shared close economic and military ties with Tehran.
President Donald Trump downplayed Ratcliffe's meeting with Russian intelligence figures as fairly routine during an interview with talk show host Glenn Beck, adding that a result could still follow and that Washington wants the Russia-Ukraine war to end. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Ratcliffe did not meet with Putin and declined to specify whether the meeting concerned Ukraine or Iran. According to Tass: "I can only tell you that contacts took place through the intelligence services," Peskov said Wednesday.
First such visit since 2021
The last known visit by a CIA director to Moscow was in November 2021, when William Burns warned Russia against sending troops into Ukraine — a warning that preceded Russia's full-scale invasion by just weeks. Katia Glod, deputy head of foreign policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre think tank, described Ratcliffe's trip as unusual but not without precedent.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged an intensifying series of drone and missile strikes far beyond the front lines in recent weeks, amplifying fears of further escalation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Putin is preparing to escalate the war and has called on international partners to ramp up sanctions pressure on Moscow and speed the supply of air defense support.
Source: CNBC
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