The visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow was marked by secrecy: the US delegation landed in the Russian capital on Tuesday morning, but the trip was officially confirmed only after their departure. The Kremlin confirmed the visit the following day, when Ratcliffe was already in Riga. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the trip was related to “contacts between intelligence services,” and that no meeting with President Vladimir Putin had taken place.
The flight route drew particular attention: the US delegation used a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, which first stopped in Riga, then flew on to Moscow, and after a stay of about six hours stopped again in Latvia. Observers see the stopovers as a deliberate signal to the Baltic states, which are considered potential targets of Russian aggression. The US had previously not confirmed that Ratcliffe met with Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service SVR – Naryshkin confirmed the meeting on August 27.
A key detail: Washington had asked Ukraine in advance to refrain from attacks on Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the northwestern regions of Russia during the visit. Ukraine agreed and paused its attacks. This step shows how much the balance of power in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has shifted – the US now coordinates its secret diplomacy closely with Kyiv.
US Donald Trump tried to play down the significance of the visit, calling it “almost routine” in an interview with host Glenn Beck. Analysts, however, see it more as a sign of the mission’s scope, which also takes place against the backdrop of stalled peace talks and ongoing Russian nuclear threats.
Source: www.pravda.com.ua
