CIA Director John Ratcliffe held discussions with Russian intelligence officials during a visit to Moscow on Tuesday, but did not meet with President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin had been briefed on the outcome of Ratcliffe’s talks, though he declined to offer further details.
Peskov also noted that it was premature to assess whether such intelligence contacts could help lift U.S.-Russia relations out of what he described as a “deep crisis.”
The trip marks the first known visit to the Russian capital by a U.S. spy chief since Ratcliffe’s predecessor, William Burns, met with Putin in November 2021.
Approximately three months after that meeting, the Russian president launched Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The United States currently has no ambassador in Moscow. Russia maintains a close strategic partnership with Iran, encompassing extensive military, economic, and diplomatic ties.
Tehran has supplied Moscow with drones for use in the war against Ukraine. In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of providing its own version of those drones to Iran.
A Ukrainian intelligence assessment reported by Reuters in April alleged that Russia has assisted Iran with satellite imagery for targeting U.S. facilities in the Middle East.
Moscow denies providing such assistance and has stated its readiness to help resolve the U.S.-Iran conflict.
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