Russia's foreign spy chief confirms he held talks with CIA director in Moscow

SVR head Naryshkin said that he had held a "working-level meeting" with CIA director John Ratcliffe in Moscow earlier this week.

Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, said on Thursday that he had held a "working-level meeting" with CIA director John Ratcliffe in Moscow earlier this week and that they had discussed unspecified and sensitive matters falling within the remit of their respective intelligence services.

Naryshkin said the meeting was nothing unusual.

“During the meeting, we discussed a number of issues that fall within the purview of the intelligence services. And the purview of the intelligence services, as you well understand, is a rather delicate and special matter,” Naryshkin told reporters on Tuesday.

“The meeting took place, but there is nothing unusual about it. In the work of the intelligence services, meetings between their heads, whether in person or online, are part of our work,” the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service said. 

Trump claims Ratcliffe's visit is 'semi-routine'

US President Donald Trump has described Ratcliffe's visit - which came as the war in Ukraine drags on and as efforts to reach a lasting peace between the United States and Iran have stalled - as "semi-routine," and the Kremlin has been tight-lipped about what was discussed. 

Trump on Wednesday said in an interview on the Glenn Beck Program that something may come out of Ratcliffe's visit to Russia.

"Now something may come ... out of it. We're working very hard to get that war ended," Trump said, referring to the war in Ukraine.

At least two US media outlets have cited their own sources as saying Ratcliffe warned Russia not to attack any NATO member state. Neither Washington nor Moscow has confirmed that.