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The CIA chief’s visit came after repeated efforts by Trump’s other envoys failed to produce a breakthrough with Moscow.
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with CIA Director John Ratcliffe. (REUTERS)
US President Donald Trump personally sent CIA Director John Ratcliffe on a highly sensitive mission to Moscow this week, keeping even some senior White House officials and military leaders unaware of the trip and the message he was carrying, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The secretive visit marked a fresh attempt by Trump to engage Moscow after earlier rounds of negotiations involving other trusted envoys failed to halt the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ratcliffe travelled from Latvia to Moscow aboard an unmarked US C-17 military cargo plane, the WSJ reported. The secrecy surrounding the mission left European officials scrambling for information after news of the trip began to circulate.
White House Calls Moscow Trip ‘Semi-Routine’
The CIA declined to comment on Ratcliffe’s visit. The White House pointed instead to Trump’s recent remarks, including an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck in which he described the CIA chief’s trip as “semi-routine.”
The visit also came as Moscow intensified attacks on Ukraine, increased support for Iran and resisted US efforts to improve economic ties.
CIA Chief Reinforced US Commitment To NATO
Two European officials told the WSJ that the CIA director reinforced to his Russian intelligence counterparts that Washington remained committed to NATO’s Article 5.
Article 5 states that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all members of the alliance.
Ratcliffe’s visit also followed recent US intelligence assessments indicating that Moscow could test NATO’s resolve within the next few years.
Trump, however, publicly dismissed concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin could attack NATO territory. He “won’t attack NATO territory,” Trump told reporters on Thursday.
Ukraine Talks Could Restart In September
Ratcliffe also discussed reviving negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, officials told the WSJ.
Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine’s presidential office, said on Thursday that negotiations could restart in September.
Trump has repeatedly tried to secure an agreement to end the war since beginning his second term. Special envoy Steve Witkoff has travelled to Moscow several times for talks with Putin, while Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner later joined him. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg have also travelled abroad to hold discussions with representatives of the two sides.
Trump also met Putin in Alaska last August in an attempt to break the diplomatic stalemate. The summit failed to produce an agreement, although Trump administration officials subsequently pressed Ukraine for months to unilaterally give up territory in eastern Ukraine that Russia had not conquered.
Ratcliffe Also Raised Russia’s Ties With Iran
Iran was another issue raised during the Moscow mission.
Ratcliffe pressed Russian officials not to maintain economic or security ties with Iran as the Trump administration intensifies its sanctions campaign against Tehran, according to the WSJ.
The push comes amid closer ties between Moscow and Tehran and as Washington steps up economic pressure on Iran.
Why Trump Turned To His CIA Chief
Ratcliffe has previously had success dealing with the Kremlin, including helping secure the release of American hostages in Russia.
Officials cited by the WSJ said Ratcliffe’s experience dealing with Moscow, the CIA’s longstanding channels with Russian intelligence services and his position within Trump’s inner circle made him a useful interlocutor.
The decision to send Ratcliffe also came after earlier diplomatic efforts involving Trump’s other trusted representatives failed to stop the fighting in Ukraine.
J.C. Lintzenich, a former senior US intelligence official and national-security adviser in the Senate, told the WSJ that Ratcliffe personally delivered his message so the Kremlin understood that Trump’s efforts to secure peace in Ukraine would not weaken Washington’s security commitments to Europe.
“Putin has a tolerance for extraordinary risk and is even potentially willing to escalate to compel de-escalation, but he is unlikely to roll the dice on actions that could threaten the Russian state,” said Lintzenich.
Europe Watching Russia’s Next Moves
Some European leaders sought to play down fears of an imminent Russian attack on NATO territory following Ratcliffe’s visit.
“There is currently no reason for concern,” Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said in a video posted on social media. “Latvia’s level of military threat hasn’t changed. The risk of direct military invasion threats to Latvia is currently low.”
European officials, however, told the WSJ that Russia continues to wage what they see as an escalating hybrid campaign against Ukraine’s European allies.
Countries supporting Kyiv have faced incidents involving drones, cruise missiles, cyberattacks and packages containing explosives. European leaders have characterised such actions as part of a Russian campaign aimed at weakening NATO’s support for Ukraine and undermining the alliance.
Putin remains intent on taking control of Ukraine. At the same time, the Kremlin is rewriting potential attack plans for NATO following Russia’s heavy battlefield losses, weapons shortages and economic downturn, the WSJ reported.
Many European officials are particularly concerned about the period around 2030, when Russia’s military could recover from the Ukraine war while European countries may still be building up their own forces.
Quick Answers
Ask News18Russia could respond to the US commitment to NATO’s Article 5 by intensifying attacks on Ukraine, increasing support for Iran, and resisting US efforts to improve economic ties. There are also US intelligence assessments suggesting Russia might consider a limited military operation against a NATO country.
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Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follo…Read More
August 29, 2026, 09:46 IST
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