The CIA chief’s first known trip to Russia comes as Ukraine peace talks stall and US intelligence warns Putin may be increasingly willing to test NATOCIA Director John Ratcliffe is in Moscow for a previously undisclosed round of meetings, CBS News reported Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the trip.The visit appears to be Ratcliffe’s first known trip to Russia since becoming CIA director, although he has remained in contact with Russian intelligence officials.CIA Director John Ratcliffe (Photo: Saul Loeb/ AFP)News of the trip emerged after a U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft was spotted at a Moscow airport alongside a U.S. diplomatic motorcade. Neither Washington nor Moscow has publicly identified the officials involved or explained the purpose of the visit, and the CIA did not immediately comment.Before Ratcliffe’s arrival, the United States informed Ukraine that a senior American delegation would be traveling to Moscow and asked Kyiv to suspend strikes until the delegation had left, according to a senior Ukrainian official cited by CBS News.The trip comes at a particularly sensitive moment in relations between Washington and Moscow. U.S.-mediated efforts to end the war in Ukraine remain largely stalled, with Russia and Ukraine still far apart on key issues.Recent U.S. intelligence assessments also suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to take risks may be increasing. According to CBS News, American intelligence officials believe Putin could become more prepared to authorize provocative operations targeting NATO countries, including hybrid or deniable actions below the threshold of conventional warfare, in an effort to test both the alliance and the Trump administration.Ratcliffe has previously played a direct role in negotiations involving Russia. He personally helped negotiate the April 2025 release of U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina, while the CIA was also involved in the 2024 prisoner exchange that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.The visit also recalls a rare mission by then-CIA Director William Burns in November 2021, when Burns traveled to Moscow to meet senior Russian officials and spoke directly with Putin as Washington sought to warn the Kremlin against invading Ukraine.The exact agenda for Ratcliffe’s meetings in Moscow remains unclear.