According to sources familiar with the matter, the director of the CIA made a sudden visit to Moscow this week, aiming to warn Russia not to attack NATO member countries.
This visit is the first public disclosure of a known trip to Moscow by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Previously, The Wall Street Journal reported on a latest U.S. intelligence assessment, which suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “ increasingly testing NATO countries with aggressive actions,” and may use limited attacks against a NATO ally in the next few years as a way to test NATO’s collective determination.
According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials are concerned that Putin may carry out actions ranging from cyberattacks to small-scale ground conflicts, with a likely target being some Baltic country.
In addition, the shortage of American ammunition reserves due to the Iranian conflict may also be a factor considered by Putin in his decision-making. Since the transfer of weapons to Ukraine began after the 2022 Russian-Ukrainian war, and considering the ammunition consumption during the Iranian conflict, some key American weapon inventories have significantly decreased.
According to Russian TASS, Ratcliffe went to Moscow for talks without prior announcement. Dmitri Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, stated that Ratcliffe visited Moscow on the 25th of this month with the aim of promoting contacts between the two countries' intelligence agencies.
Peskov also told reporters that Latcliff held talks with Russian intelligence officials during his stay in Moscow. Although he did not meet with Putin, Putin was informed of the details of the talks.
The White House provided little clarification regarding Ratcliffe’s visit. On the 26th, U.S. President Donald Trump described the visit as "semi-routine" during an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck. He then turned his attention to the Russo-Ukrainian war. Trump stated that the conversation "might yield some results," and added, "We are working very hard to end that war. To be honest, both sides now hope for the end of the war."
Lattke is one of Trump's closest assistants. He is the latest American official to visit Moscow, following several visits by Steve Wittckow, the U.S. envoy for the Russo-Ukrainian peace talks.
This visit is a rare outing by the head of a U.S. intelligence agency since the Russo-Ukraine war has entered its fifth year. The last time the CIA director visited Moscow was in November 2021 – William Burns, then the CIA director under the Biden administration, went to Russia to warn Putin not to attack Ukraine.
