The Kremlin reported on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, that the Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John Ratcliffe held talks with representatives of Russian intelligence services during his visit to Moscow. However, there was no meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Putin had been informed about the results of Ratcliffe’s negotiations. The visit took place amid the escalation of the war in Ukraine and the suspension of attempts to reach a lasting peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran.
Peskov refused to disclose the details of the discussions or provide any additional information. “All I can tell you is that contacts between the intelligence services took place. I can say that there were no meetings with the Russian president. Naturally, President Putin is informed about everything without delay,” Peskov said.
Can contacts improve U.S.-Russia relations
When asked if visits by such high-ranking American officials could help improve relations between the U.S. and Russia, Peskov noted that contacts between the intelligence agencies of the two countries are a positive signal.
“These contacts often continue even in the most difficult periods of bilateral relations. Our president, by the way, has spoken about this. However, it is too early to say how much this will generally help bring our bilateral relations out of the deep crisis in which they currently find themselves,” he added.
Source: The Hindu
