WorldJohn Ratcliffe, director of the Central Intelligence Agency in the U.S., travelled to Moscow on Tuesday for meetings with Russian officials, U.S. media outlets reported, citing unnamed sources.No immediate comment from the CIA or KremlinThomson Reuters · Posted: Aug 25, 2026 4:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: 18 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.CIA director John Ratcliffe, right, speaks with reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 6, as U.S. President Donald Trump looks on. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)CIA director John Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow on Tuesday for meetings with Russian officials, U.S. media outlets reported, citing unnamed sources.It would ‌be the first known visit to the Russian capital by a U.S. spy chief since Ratcliffe's predecessor, William Burns, held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in November 2021. About three months after that meeting, Putin launched Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.CBS News and Axios ​reported the visit by Ratcliffe, U.S. President Donald Trump's CIA chief, who served as director of national intelligence in Trump's first term. ​The outlets did not say whom he was meeting or what ⁠the talks are expected ⁠to cover. ABC News, CNN and the Wall Street Journal also reported the meeting taking place.The CIA declined to comment, and the Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The U.S. last week asked Ukraine not to launch airstrikes around Moscow, St. Petersburg and some northern territories of Russia between Monday and Wednesday ⁠of this week because a plane carrying a senior U.S. official would be flying to the Russian capital, said a source familiar with the matter.The source declined to provide ‌further information. The Financial Times first reported the U.S. message to Ukraine.On Monday, the U.S. warned countries to cut business ties with Iran or face secondary sanctions, a move aimed at stepping up economic pressure in order ​to settle the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran launched in February.No U.S. ambassador to RussiaThe U.S. has no ambassador to Russia, which maintains ⁠a close strategic partnership with Iran involving extensive military, economic and diplomatic ties.Tehran supplied ⁠Moscow with drones for its war against Ukraine.WATCH | Putin, his critics and the transnational repression that follows them abroad:How Putin goes after his enemies outside of RussiaJuly 15|Duration 9:59For critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin who have fled the country, escape doesn’t mean safety. For The National, CBC’s Terence McKenna breaks down how the Kremlin uses transnational repression to intimidate, harass and eliminate enemies beyond Russia’s borders.In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr ⁠Zelenskyy ⁠accused Russia of supplying its version ​of those drones to Iran.A Ukrainian intelligence assessment reported by Reuters in April said that ​Russia has aided Iran ⁠with satellite imagery for use in targeting U.S. facilities in the Middle East.Moscow denies providing such assistance and has said it is ready to help resolve the U.S.-Iran conflict.With files from CBC News