John Ratcliffe Moscow trip: CIA chief meets Russian officials
CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled overnight to Moscow to meet Russian officials, a U.S. official told CNN, confirming the first known John Ratcliffe Moscow trip as agency chief under President Donald Trump. The CIA declined to comment, and neither government has publicly detailed the agenda as U.S.-mediated Ukraine peace talks remain stalled.
Key Takeaways
- Sources say Ratcliffe is in Moscow for meetings with Russian officials; the CIA has not commented.
- A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III was tracked landing at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport early Tuesday.
- Washington asked Ukraine to halt drone and missile strikes on Moscow and other northern Russian cities Monday through Wednesday, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.
- The visit is Ratcliffe's first known trip to Russia as CIA director and comes amid stalled Ukraine peace negotiations.
- CBS News first reported the unannounced visit; other major outlets later confirmed it with anonymous sources.
What happened on the John Ratcliffe Moscow trip?
According to a U.S. official familiar with his travel who spoke to CNN, Ratcliffe flew to Moscow overnight to meet with Russian officials. The official declined to share the substance of the meetings or the topics set to be discussed.
CBS News, citing sources familiar with the situation, likewise reported that Ratcliffe was in Russia for meetings. A U.S. diplomatic motorcade was also spotted alongside the military aircraft at a Moscow airport, CBS said. Neither the U.S. nor Russian governments has commented on the identity of the official or the purpose of the visit.
Why does this secret visit matter right now?
The trip lands as negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war remain mostly stalled, with the sides still far apart on core issues, CBS News reported. CIA directors have previously served as presidential envoys in high-stakes talks with adversaries.
Former CIA Director William Burns traveled to Moscow in November 2021 and met senior Russian officials, speaking directly with President Vladimir Putin to warn against invading Ukraine, CBS noted. NBC News similarly recalled that former President Joe Biden turned to Burns to relay warnings before and after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion.
CNN also noted the visit came one day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced "Operation Economic Outcast," a strategy aimed at isolating Iran—Russia remains a strategic trading partner with Tehran. Readers following sanctions and market risk can track related coverage in our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
What do flight trackers show about the Moscow landing?
Early Tuesday, an American Boeing C-17 Globemaster III landed at Vnukovo International Airport, according to Flightradar24 data cited by CNN and CBS News. The flight appeared to have originated from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
NBC News reported that a C-130 cargo plane and a C-40 landed in Riga, Latvia, as part of the same mission, and that the C-130 then continued to Russia. Flight data cited by NBC showed an aircraft approaching Vnukovo just after 10 a.m. local time after taking off from Riga about two hours earlier, and that the plane had apparently left Moscow on Tuesday afternoon.
A Latvian Defense Ministry spokesperson told CNN the flight from Riga was "properly coordinated and authorized for operation within the airspace," while declining further details because Latvia's forces did not operate the aircraft. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he did not have information about the aircraft when asked by NBC News.
Did the U.S. ask Ukraine to pause attacks?
Yes, according to CNN: the U.S. asked Ukraine to halt drone and missile strikes in Moscow and other cities in the north of Russia ahead of Ratcliffe's trip. The request covered Monday through Wednesday of this week, and Ukrainians were told a senior U.S. official would be traveling in Russia, a person familiar with the matter said.
CBS News added that Ratcliffe has maintained contact with Russian intelligence counterparts and that the CIA played a role in recent detainee exchanges, including the April 2025 release of dual national Ksenia Karelina—whose case Ratcliffe personally negotiated—and the 2024 exchange that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan.