CIA Chief On 'Secret' Trip To Moscow As US Asks Ukraine To Halt Strikes: Report

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has made an unannounced trip to Moscow for talks with Russian officials, CNN reported.

Before his trip, the US requested Ukraine to temporarily stop drone and missile attacks on Moscow and other cities in northern Russia, according to the report.

The request covered Monday through Wednesday, and Kyiv was informed that a senior US official would be travelling to Russia.

The secret visit comes at a sensitive moment for Washington's efforts to get Moscow and Kyiv closer to a deal.

US Military Aircraft Lands In Moscow

Early on Tuesday a US Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft landed at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport.

Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft appeared to have departed from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

A Latvian Defence Ministry spokesperson told CNN that the flight had been cleared to operate in the region. The spokesperson said the flight was “properly coordinated and authorised for operation within the airspace”.

Moscow-Tehran Ties Add Another Layer

Ratcliffe's Moscow visit also comes just a day after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled “Operation Economic Outcast”, a new campaign aimed at cutting Iran off from the global economy.

The strategy targets countries and entities that continue doing business with Tehran, and Russia is among Iran's key strategic trading partners.

US Intelligence Warns Of Putin's Next Moves

The CIA chief is also travelling to Moscow as fresh US intelligence assessments suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin could test NATO's unity with a limited attack on one of its member states within the next few years.

Officials say the scenarios being examined range from cyberattacks and covert operations to a small-scale military incursion.

US-Russia Detainee Exchanges

The CIA has played a role in several recent detainee exchanges between Washington and Moscow. Ratcliffe personally negotiated the April 2025 release of Ksenia Karelina, a US-Russian dual national.

The agency was also involved in the 2024 prisoner swap that brought home Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan.