CIA chief John Ratcliffe reportedly made secretive Moscow trip to warn Russia against attacking NATO

Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range drone and missile strikes as fears of further escalation grow.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly traveled to Moscow this week to warn Vladimir Putin against attacking NATO, The Wall Street Journal and Politico reported. The warning reportedly focused on the Baltic states, amid US intelligence concerns that Russia could seek to “test NATO’s resolve” with a limited attack.

The purpose of the CIA chief's visit to Moscow this week was to warn Russia not to attack NATO member states, people familiar with the matter said, amid U.S. assessments that Russia could try to test NATO.

CIA chief warned Moscow ‘against Nato attack’ in surprise trip  The Times

Exclusive | CIA Chief’s Surprise Moscow Trip Was to Warn Russia Not to Attack NATO  WSJ

CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s brief trip to Moscow yesterday was unannounced but hard to miss: He flew in a C-17A, a large heavy-transport plane, that open-source analysts quickly identified and tracked. Within hours, he was already on his way home. The purpose of Ratcliffe’s visit remains unknown. In an interview with

Video captured a C-17 Globemaster landing at Moscow's Vnukovo airport as CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly met with Russian intelligence officials.

U.S. President Donald Trump has commented for the first time on CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s August 25 trip to Moscow. “He’s there on … you know, very sort of semi-routine [business],” Trump said in an interview with radio host Glenn Beck. “I hate to disappoint people. We would like to see the war in Ukraine end.”

The Kremlin said that John Ratcliffe did not meet President Vladimir Putin during the trip.

The director of the CIA made a surprise visit to Moscow for talks with Russian officials, but both capitals remained tight-lipped on purpose of the trip.

THE head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency travelled to the Russian capital Moscow for unannounced talks, according to US media. Neither Washington or Moscow have confirmed the nature of the visit by CIA director John Ratcliffe or who he was due to meet. There has been no response for comment from Moscow

The Russian government said that spy chief John Ratcliffe held talks with counterparts, but not President Vladimir Putin, on his Moscow trip.

CIA boss John Ratcliffe did not meet with President Putin during his surprise visit to Moscow on Tuesday, a Kremlin spokesman said.

Ratcliffe’s "emergency" visit to Moscow comes amid concerns over a possible escalation of the Ukraine warRussia may be considering a dramatic escalation of the Ukraine war with CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly travelling to Moscow for an “emergency” meeting amid fears that the Kremlin could resort to nuclear weap

European countries have every reason to be concerned over John Ratcliffe's visit to Russia

CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly made a surprise Moscow visit, but neither the US nor Russia confirmed it. Reports cite flight data and a US official.

CIA chief 'flies to Moscow for mystery talks with Russia'  lbc.co.uk

John Ratcliffe, director of the Central Intelligence Agency in the U.S., travelled to Moscow on Tuesday for meetings with Russian officials, U.S. media outlets reported, citing unnamed sources.

Washington reportedly alerted Ukraine to refrain from strikes until delegation leaves Moscow, US media reports.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly visited Moscow aboard a not-so-secret C-17 Globemaster to engage in high-level discussions with Russian officials. His visit was reported by CBS News and was cited by Russian state media, including TASS. U.S. and Russian officials both declined to comment or claimed ignorance. Kreml

US CIA Director ⁠John Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow ⁠on Tuesday for meetings ⁠with Russian officials, US media outlets reported, citing unnamed sources. The visit would be the first known visit to the Russian capital by a US spy chief since Ratcliffe’s predecessor, William Burns, ‌held talks with Vladimir Putin in Nove

Unannounced trip reported by US media is said to be Ratcliffe’s first known visit to Russia as CIA chief The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, has made an unannounced visit to Moscow, US media reported, after flight data showed an American military aircraft flew to the Russian capital, where a US diplomatic motorcade was l

A US Air Force transport jet made a highly unusual landing in Moscow on Tuesday, sparking a frenzy of theories about its mysterious mission.

The CIA, Department of Defense and Air Force declined to comment.

Ratcliffe is one of Trump's most trusted advisers and heavily involved with the Iran war, though it is unclear what he may be discussing with Russian leaders.

The mysterious flight sparked confusion. 15:20, Tue, Aug 25, 2026 Updated: 15:20, Tue, Aug 25, 2026 Ratcliffe (Image: Getty)CIA Director Ratcliffe reportedly travelled to Russia aboard a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft for meetings in Moscow on Tuesday.MORE UPDATES TO FOLLOW... Get the latest news from around t