“The Point Is”: What Did the CIA Chief Really Bring From Moscow? Putin Has Reasons to Worry

John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow with a message from Donald Trump’s administration, but Vladimir Putin reportedly removed a meeting with the CIA director from his schedule at the last minute. That detail has added to the speculation surrounding the visit.

Ratcliffe did meet Sergei Naryshkin and Alexander Bortnikov, prompting questions about what the heads of the American and Russian intelligence services discussed. Was the real subject the war in Ukraine, Iran, or the growing threat to Putin’s regime?

The visit has also generated speculation over whether it could bring negotiations on the war closer, or instead signal another escalation. Yet the information available about the talks is limited.

Rusłan Szoszyn, a foreign-affairs journalist for Rzeczpospolita, urged caution about the flood of media reports. “I would say that we really know nothing about this visit,” he said. The central question, therefore, remains unanswered: what message did Ratcliffe carry to Moscow, and what did the Russian officials hear?

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I would say that we really know nothing about this visit.