CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly travelled to Moscow this week to warn Russia against attacking any member of NATO, according to reports by US media.
The unusual visit reportedly came after US intelligence assessments indicated that Moscow could attempt to test the resolve of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in the coming years.
The Wall Street Journal and Reuter reported that Ratcliffe’s mission was aimed at discouraging Russia from attacking a NATO member. The Journal reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin could test the alliance with a “limited assault” within the next few years.
The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the reported purpose of the visit.
President Donald Trump, however, played down the significance of Ratcliffe’s trip to Moscow on Tuesday, describing it as “semi-routine.”
Trump said the CIA director was in Russia partly to discuss the war in Ukraine and efforts to end the conflict.
“He’s there, very sort of semi-routine. I hate to disappoint people. We would like to see the war with Ukraine end,” Trump said in an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck.
Ratcliffe is one of the highest-ranking US officials to visit Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
His visit came amid renewed escalation in the war, with Russian attacks reportedly increasing civilian casualties during the summer, while US-backed peace negotiations have stalled.
During the Moscow visit, Ratcliffe also reportedly discussed the war involving Iran and warned that the United States could impose additional sanctions if shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume.
CBS News, citing people familiar with the discussions, reported that the issue was among the matters discussed during the CIA chief’s meetings in Moscow.
The Kremlin confirmed that Ratcliffe held contacts with Russian intelligence officials but said he did not meet Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was briefed about the discussions but declined to disclose whether the Ukraine war was discussed.
“Contacts through the intelligence services are a positive development in and of themselves,” Peskov said, adding that it was too early to determine how the meeting could affect efforts to resolve tensions between Russia and the United States.
Ratcliffe’s visit is particularly notable because the last CIA director to travel to Moscow was William Burns in November 2021.
Burns had reportedly warned Russian officials against sending troops into Ukraine. Moscow launched its invasion weeks later, triggering the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.
The CIA has also played a role in prisoner exchanges between Russia and the United States, including a major swap in 2024.
The Ukraine war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, while Russia has maintained its demands for control of additional territory in eastern Ukraine and recognition of its control over Crimea.
Trump, meanwhile, dismissed suggestions that Ratcliffe’s visit involved discussions about Russia potentially testing NATO or Washington’s efforts to increase economic pressure on Iran.
“He is not in there for any of the things that you said, now something may come out, you know, out of it,” Trump told Beck.
“We’re working very hard to get that war ended, and frankly, they both want to see it ended at this point,” the US president added.
