Kremlin Confirms CIA Director Held Talks in Moscow

John Ratcliffe, director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), held talks with representatives of Russian intelligence services during a visit to Moscow on Tuesday, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. He did not meet with President Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had been briefed on the results of the talks but did not disclose their content or any further details.

“All I can tell you is that there have been contacts via the security services. I can tell you that there have been no meetings with the Russian president. Naturally, President Putin is kept informed of everything without delay”, Peskov said.

Ratcliffe’s visit comes at a time of escalating conflict in Ukraine and stalled efforts to reach a lasting peace agreement between the United States and Iran.

Peskov described the contacts between US and Russian intelligence services as positive, noting that they often continue even during the most difficult periods in bilateral relations. He added, however, that it remains too early to say whether they will help pull US-Russian relations out of a “profound crisis”.

(Reuters, lud)