The Kremlin confirmed that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow for talks with his Russian counterparts, a rare and secretive trip amid strained U.S.-Russia relations over the Ukraine conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ratcliffe did not meet President Vladimir Putin, who was informed of the discussions at the intelligence level. The visit was reported by Russian state media, noting a U.S. military plane landed at Vnukovo airport on Tuesday and departed the same day.

President Donald Trump downplayed the trip, calling it "semi-routine," while a senior Ukrainian official said Washington asked Kyiv to pause strikes on Moscow, St. Petersburg, and some northern regions until the delegation left. Peskov described intelligence contacts as "a positive phenomenon" but stressed relations remain in "profound crisis." Expert Andrei Soldatov noted such visits are rare, with past examples including CIA Director William Burns' 2021 Moscow meeting and a 2022 Turkey encounter with Russia's foreign intelligence chief. The visit comes as U.S.-Russia ties have warmed since Trump returned to office, though peace efforts have stalled, and Russia has deepened ties with Iran, including a strategic partnership treaty signed in January 2025.