The FBI chief Kash Patel is heading to Moscow, according to a well-sourced but unconfirmed report, where he is to be hosted by the Russian security service, the FSB.
Nothing wrong with that in principle: under the previous administration the then CIA chief Bill Burns regularly acted as message-carrier to the Kremlin.
But news of the visit comes as allies’ trust in American spookdom is hitting new lows.
One reason is the FBI chief himself. His notoriously thin-skinned, self-important and bombastic behaviour includes a resolute refusal to admit that Russia interferes in the US political system.
This is troubling, given that the FBI is not just a law-enforcement agency: it is also responsible for catching spies and foiling foreign governments’ influence operations inside the US.
