What brought CIA director to Moscow? Kremlin offers its version
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (photo: Getty Images)
Yesterday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on an unannounced visit. The Kremlin has already offered some explanation for the purpose of the visit, but it differs from what the media have reported, according to The Washington Post.
When asked about the purpose of the Central Intelligence Agency director's visit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a media outlet that it was aimed at "establishing contacts between the security services." He declined to provide further details, although in comments to the Russian News Agency TASS, he said that no contacts between the head of the Central Intelligence Agency and Russian President Vladimir Putin were planned as part of the trip.
At the same time, The Washington Post noted that earlier on Tuesday, Peskov had said that the Kremlin had no information about United States military aircraft arriving at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. He said the Russian side had no plans to meet with representatives of the United States administration this week.
The media outlet also writes that the American C-17A Globemaster III aircraft that arrived in Moscow is the primary heavy transport aircraft of the United States Department of Defense. This type of aircraft is particularly valuable for important diplomatic visits, allowing leaders to bring specialized equipment, electronic equipment, and support personnel with them.
According to Flightradar24, the C-17A departed Joint Base Andrews on Sunday evening, heading for Riga, the capital of Latvia. The transport aircraft apparently remained there for about 24 hours before departing for Moscow on the morning of Tuesday, August 25. The C-17A was already in the Russian capital shortly after 9 a.m.
The same service shows that the aircraft later departed Moscow shortly after 5:30 p.m. local time and landed in Riga just over an hour later. Thus, the C-17A spent about eight and a half hours in Moscow.
What the media reported about the Central Intelligence Agency director's visit
A source told RBC-Ukraine that Washington had asked Kyiv not to attack Moscow in the coming days during the visit of the American delegation. Financial Times sources clarified that the request for a pause covered the period from August 24 to 26 and applied not only to Moscow but also to St. Petersburg and Russia's northern regions.
According to the RBC-Ukraine source, after the meeting, the Americans promised to return with details.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States had obtained intelligence about Russia's early preparations for mobilization and plans to test the resolve of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Analysts told a media outlet that the visit was a warning to Moscow not to take such a step.
Many media outlets also suggested that the Central Intelligence Agency director would allegedly discuss in Moscow a mutual halt to strikes on Ukrainian and Russian energy facilities and ports, as well as a ceasefire in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions as steps toward mutual de-escalation and prospects for ending the war.
It is important to add that the last known visit by a Central Intelligence Agency director to Moscow took place in November 2021, when William Burns, who headed the agency under President Joe Biden, warned Russian President Vladimir Putin and his closest aides against attacking Ukraine and explained in detail what the consequences would be. As is known, Moscow then launched its full-scale invasion within a few weeks.
