Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John Ratcliffe, according to reports in the American media, has arrived in Moscow for meetings with Russian officials. The purpose of the trip was later partially commented on by the Kremlin, but the details of the contacts have not been disclosed.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE VISIT
As reported by Reuters, CBS News and Axios were the first to report on the trip by John Ratcliffe, citing unnamed sources. The media reported on meetings between the CIA director and Russian officials, but did not specify with whom exactly he was due to meet or what topics were discussed.
The CIA has refused to comment on the information.
Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov initially neither confirmed nor denied reports of the visit.
He later told The Washington Post that the purpose of John Ratcliffe's visit was "contacts between the intelligence services." He did not provide any further details.
In a comment to TASS, Peskov also clarified that no contacts between the CIA director and Russian President Vladimir Putin were planned.
Thus, the Kremlin has stated the general purpose of the visit, but the substance of the contacts between the intelligence services remains unknown.
FIRST KNOWN VISIT IN SEVERAL YEARS
According to the publication, this is the first known visit by the head of American intelligence to the Russian capital since November 2021. At that time, John Ratcliffe's predecessor William Burns held talks with Vladimir Putin.
The media reports do not name the specific participants in the meetings. Nor is the substance of any possible negotiations disclosed.
WHAT THE FORMER KNB CHIEF HAS SAID
A former head of the Kazakhstan National Security Committee (KNB) Alnur Musayev has offered his own version of the possible aims of John Ratcliffe's visit.
In Musayev's view, the CIA director may have brought Vladimir Putin a personal message from US President Donald Trump relating to the terms for ending the war in Ukraine.
Musayev also suggested that the meeting between Ratcliffe and Putin could have taken place behind closed doors. At the same time, he believes that the content of any possible message or proposals may remain classified for the foreseeable future.
Separately, the former KNB chief drew attention to the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft on which, according to published data, the trip was made. Musayev linked the use of this aircraft to the features of its secure communications equipment, citing his own experience of flying on a plane of this type with former CIA director George Tenet.
Alnur Musayev's assumptions are, however, his personal assessment.
