Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin has confirmed that he met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Moscow, describing the talks as part of the two agencies’ regular working contacts.
Naryshkin said on Thursday that the meeting was “nothing unusual” and that the two discussed issues falling within the purview of intelligence services.
“During the meeting, we discussed a number of issues that fall within the purview of intelligence services. And intelligence services' purview is a rather delicate and specific matter,” Naryshkin told journalists in the Russian capital.
The Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday that Ratcliffe visited Moscow on Tuesday, marking the first visit by a CIA chief to Russia since 2021. It said the visit involved contacts between security services and described such communication as a “positive phenomenon”.
According to Flightradar24, a US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew from Riga to Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport on Tuesday before returning to the Latvian capital later that day.
CBS News later reported, citing sources familiar with the situation, that Ratcliffe was in Moscow for meetings.
Axios, citing a source, reported that Washington had informed Kiev that a senior delegation would visit Moscow and asked Ukraine to suspend strikes until the delegation left the country.
US President Donald Trump described Ratcliffe’s Moscow visit as “semi-routine” on Wednesday, rejecting reports that it was linked to potential Russian military threats against NATO or the UK.
