https://morningwire.eu/fr/le-chef-de-la-cia-rencontre-les-services-de-renseignement-russes-a/
CIA chief meets Russian intelligence in Moscow, skips Putin
The CIA director’s Moscow visit marks the first high‑level US‑Russia intelligence contact since the Ukraine war began, but he did not sit down with President Vladimir Putin.
John Ratcliffe, the US CIA director, held talks with Russian intelligence officials in Moscow on Tuesday, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. The meeting did not include a sit‑down with President Vladimir Putin.
Why the meeting matters
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Kremlin, told reporters that Putin had been briefed on the outcome of the discussions, but declined to share details. He added that it was too early to judge whether the dialogue could ease what he described as a "deep crisis" in US‑Russia relations.
President Donald Trump characterised the trip as "semi‑routine". In an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck, he said:
He's there, very sort of semi‑routine. I hate to disappoint people. We would like to see the war with Ukraine end.
The visit is the first by a US spy chief since the full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The last known US intelligence head to set foot in the Russian capital was William Burns, who met Putin in November 2021, before the conflict erupted.
What could follow
The United States currently has no ambassador in Russia, and Moscow maintains a close strategic partnership with Iran, including the supply of drones used in the Ukraine war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of providing its drone designs to Tehran, while a Ukrainian intelligence report in April alleged Russian satellite imagery assistance for targeting US facilities in the Middle East.
Moscow denies any wrongdoing and says it is prepared to help resolve the US‑Iran dispute. Whether these intelligence contacts will translate into broader diplomatic movement remains uncertain, but they keep a back‑channel alive at a time when official relations are at a low point.
Analysts expect any immediate impact on sanctions or military aid to be limited. However, the meeting could lay groundwork for future exchanges, potentially easing tensions enough to allow more substantive talks on issues such as Ukraine, nuclear arms control and regional security.
