Trump revealed the purpose of the CIA director’s visit to Moscow

US President Donald Trump stated that CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow was linked to efforts to end the war in Ukraine. However, the US leader dismissed suggestions that the trip concerned a possible Russian test of NATO’s readiness for confrontation, sanctions against Iran or the threat of an attack on the UK. Trump made these remarks to journalists whilst commenting on the unexpected trip by the head of US intelligence to the Russian capital.

According to the US president, “something might come of” Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow. Trump also emphasised that his administration continues to work actively towards bringing the war to an end.

“We are working very hard to bring this war to an end,” he said.

The US president added that, in his view, both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy now want the war to end.

Trump dismissed several theories about the purpose of the visit

Whilst speaking to journalists, Trump was asked whether Ratcliffe’s visit might be linked to concerns that Russia might decide to test NATO’s readiness – particularly that of European countries – for a possible escalation. Other suggested reasons for the trip included sanctions against Iran and a possible threat of a Russian attack on the UK. Trump dismissed all these theories, replying: “None of the above.”

However, the US President did not disclose exactly which issues John Ratcliffe discussed during his stay in Moscow.

What is known about the CIA director’s visit

Ratcliffe arrived unexpectedly in Moscow on 25 August. According to US media reports, he spent several hours in the Russian capital before flying back. According to the Kremlin, the CIA director did not meet with Vladimir Putin; instead, contacts took place through the intelligence services. The Russian side reported that the Russian president had been briefed on the outcome of the talks.

The CIA did not publicly disclose the details of the visit. Prior to the trip, the US side also alerted Ukraine to the movement of a high-level delegation and asked it to temporarily refrain from strikes against Russian targets whilst the delegation was in Moscow, US media reported.

Ratcliffe’s visit marked the first known trip by a serving CIA director to Moscow since 2021, when his predecessor, William Burns, met with the Russian leadership whilst the Kremlin was preparing for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin described the cooperation between the intelligence services as a positive development, but emphasised that it was too early to assess its impact on relations between Moscow and Washington.