US President Donald Trump has described CIA Director John Ratcliffe's unannounced visit to Moscow as "semi-routine." Ratcliffe reportedly flew to the Russian capital on Tuesday from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on a government transport plane.
The White House, CIA, Pentagon, and US Air Force all declined to comment on the visit. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov confirmed the trip on Wednesday, adding that Ratcliffe did not meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to conservative radio host Glenn Beck, President Trump dismissed speculation that Ratcliffe's visit was in response to fears of Russia planning to "test Nato resolve" or to secure Moscow's cooperation for new US sanctions on Iran. Trump stated, "None of the above," and added, "We would like to see the war with Ukraine end."
This marks the first visit by a CIA director to Moscow since November 2021, when Ratcliffe's predecessor, Bill Burns, travelled there to warn President Putin about the consequences of attacking Ukraine.