CIA chief meets Russia's intelligence chief in Moscow secretly
New: The U.S. was said to have informed Ukraine in advance and asked for a pause in attacks on Russia during the visit.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a secret trip to Moscow this week and met with Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin. The Kremlin said the talks went well, but stressed that Ratcliffe did not meet President Vladimir Putin. The visit first came to light after a U.S. Air Force C-17A cargo plane and an American diplomatic convoy were seen at Moscow's airport on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal reported the mission was linked to Washington's warning that Russia should not escalate against NATO members. Donald Trump rejected that explanation and said Ratcliffe's trip was meant to help end the war in Ukraine. Axios also reported that Washington had informed Kyiv in advance and asked for a temporary halt to attacks on Russian territory while the delegation was in Moscow.