**CIA Chief Proposed Trilateral Talks During Moscow Visit**
In a significant diplomatic move, CIA Director John Ratcliffe proposed a trilateral meeting involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a recent covert visit to Moscow. This initiative aims to seek a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as reported by Axios, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
Ratcliffe's unannounced trip to Moscow took place on August 25, marking the first known visit by a CIA director to the Russian capital since William Burns' trip in November 2021. The following day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that there had been contact between the intelligence services of the two nations, although he noted that President Putin did not meet with Ratcliffe directly. Peskov described the engagement as a "positive phenomenon" but refrained from providing further details about the discussions.
During his visit, Ratcliffe met with Sergei Naryshkin, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), who later confirmed their meeting and stated that the discussions were focused on matters related to intelligence services. Additionally, Ratcliffe reportedly met with Alexander Bortnikov, the Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Following these discussions, U.S. officials briefed President Zelensky on the outcomes of the Moscow talks and the proposed trilateral summit. Reports indicate that Ratcliffe also explored the possibility of restarting peace negotiations regarding the Ukraine conflict.
In a related development, President Trump characterized Ratcliffe's visit as "semi-routine." When asked by talk show host Glenn Beck about the nature of the discussions, including whether they pertained to NATO or U.S. sanctions on Iran, Trump dismissed those topics, indicating that they were not part of the dialogue.
The backdrop of this diplomatic engagement is the ongoing tensions between the United States and Russia, particularly concerning the situation in Ukraine. The last face-to-face meeting between the CIA and SVR chiefs occurred in November 2022 in Ankara, where Burns and Naryshkin discussed nuclear escalation risks and the detention of U.S. citizens.
The last publicly acknowledged contact between Ratcliffe and a senior Russian official was a phone call in March 2025 with SVR chief Naryshkin, during which both sides agreed to maintain dialogue to enhance international stability and security and to mitigate tensions between Moscow and Washington.
As the situation continues to evolve, the proposed trilateral talks could represent a pivotal step toward addressing the complexities of the Ukraine conflict and fostering dialogue between the involved nations.