"The Kremlin: CIA Director Held 'Positive' Talks in Moscow but Did Not Meet Putin"

The Russian presidential administration, the Kremlin, announced that communication channels between Russian and American intelligence agencies remain open, even during the most complex phases of bilateral relations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated in a press comment that President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the details and substance of communications held between U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe and representatives of Russian intelligence services. Peskov added that it was “too early to judge the impact of these communications on efforts to extricate Russian-U.S. relations from their deepest crisis, as long as political and strategic disagreements between Moscow and Washington persist.” The Kremlin spokesperson noted that Ratcliffe held talks in Moscow “with Russian intelligence,” but did not meet with President Putin, describing the discussions as “positive.” Ratcliffe visited Moscow on an unannounced trip, according to U.S. media reports, making him one of the highest-ranking U.S. officials to visit Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022.