CIA director makes unannounced visit to Moscow to meet with Russian officials, source says

By Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak, Jennifer Hansler, CNN

(CNN) — CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow overnight to meet with Russian officials, a US official familiar with his travel told CNN.

The official declined to share the substance of the meetings or the topics set to be discussed.

The CIA declined to comment.

The US asked Ukraine to halt drone and missile strikes in Moscow and other cities in the north of Russia ahead of Ratcliffe’s trip, a person familiar with the matter said. The request was for Monday through Wednesday of this week. The Ukrainians were told a senior US official would be traveling in Russia.

The visit is Ratcliffe’s first known trip to Russia as CIA director under President Donald Trump. It comes as negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine have stalled.

It also comes one day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced “Operation Economic Outcast” — a new strategy designed to isolate Iran from the rest of the world by punishing countries and entities that continue to do business with Tehran. Russia is a strategic trading partner with Iran.

Early Tuesday morning, a military transport aircraft — an American Boeing C-17 Globemaster III — landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. It appeared the flight had initially taken off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

A spokesperson for Latvia’s Defense Ministry said the flight — which left from Riga, the Latvian capital — was “properly coordinated and authorized for operation within the airspace.”

“Since the aircraft is not operated by the National Armed Forces of Latvia, we are unable to provide any further information concerning this particular flight,” the spokesperson told CNN.

CBS News was first to report on Ratcliffe’s presence in Russia.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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