The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe, traveled to Moscow for unannounced discussions earlier this week, arriving in the Russian capital on Tuesday. Neither Washington nor Moscow has confirmed the purpose of the visit or the individuals he was scheduled to meet. Such in-person talks between high-level American and Russian officials are considered rare.
Flight tracking data confirmed a large US military aircraft traveled from the US to Russia via Latvia on Tuesday, departing later the same day. Footage shared on social media showed a C-17 transport plane approaching Moscow’s Vnukovo international airport. Data from FlightRadar24 indicated the plane departed Riga airport at 05:50 GMT and landed in Moscow around 07:04 GMT, returning to Riga shortly before 17:00 GMT. Social media footage also reportedly showed a diplomatic motorcade moving through Moscow.
Before the trip, the US informed Ukraine that a senior delegation would be traveling to Moscow and requested Kyiv to suspend strikes until their departure, according to a senior Ukrainian official. This visit is believed to be Ratcliffe’s first trip to Russia as CIA director, though he has maintained contact with his intelligence counterparts in Moscow.
John Foreman, a former British military attaché to Moscow from 2019 to 2022, suggested the visit could focus on escalation management, particularly given recent speculation linking drone activity in Germany to Russia. Foreman noted that the US typically does not send such a high-ranking official to Moscow unannounced and on short notice unless a significant issue is at hand. He also indicated the trip might concern the release of US detainees in Russia.
Ratcliffe was involved in negotiations for the release of Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina, who was imprisoned in Russia for over a year on accusations of supporting Ukraine. The CIA also participated in a 2024 prisoner swap deal with Russia, which led to the release of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, former US marine Paul Whelan, and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
Relations between the US and Russia have been strained since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, leading to Russia’s international isolation and economic sanctions. Ratcliffe appears to be one of the highest-ranking US officials to visit Russia during President Donald Trump’s second term. President Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska last year, but that meeting did not result in a breakthrough. Subsequent US-led peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have reportedly stalled.
