CIA and Vatican Converge in Moscow Amidst Efforts to End Ukraine War

In a move reminiscent of Cold War-era diplomacy, the CIA and the Vatican have found themselves converging in Moscow, both reportedly seeking to influence the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The surprise arrival of CIA Director John Ratcliffe coincided with a previously announced visit by Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States.

Gallagher met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, marking their first in-person encounter since before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, a US military Boeing C-17 aircraft landed in Moscow, leading to speculation that Ratcliffe was aboard. This visit follows previous diplomatic efforts by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, whose meetings were not kept secret.

The presence of the CIA chief in Moscow immediately raised alarms, with US media speculating that Ratcliffe, a trusted confidant of then-President Donald Trump, might have issued warnings to Moscow regarding potential actions against NATO. The timing is particularly sensitive, as the Kremlin reportedly believes that the perceived failure of military operations in Iran has weakened the United States, and that the stalled peace process in Ukraine creates an opening for Russian escalation.

Both the Kremlin and the White House sought to downplay the significance of Ratcliffe's visit. Putin did not meet with Ratcliffe, and his encounter with Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergey Narishkin was described as "not unusual," though Narishkin acknowledged discussing "delicate" matters. Trump also characterized the trip as "semi-routine" and unrelated to NATO or Iran.

However, The New York Times reported that Ratcliffe, who reportedly boasts that Russian forces have captured only 1% of Ukrainian territory during his tenure, urged Moscow to cease hostilities before the situation on the front lines and in the rear becomes irreversible. The atmosphere during Gallagher's meeting with Lavrov was described as unusually warm for interactions between Russian officials and Western representatives. Despite the diplomatic maneuvering, Gallagher reportedly did not shy away from direct discussion during his talks.