NYT reveals details of CIA chief's secret visit to Moscow
US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe conveyed a "pessimistic assessment" of Russia's position in the war in Ukraine to the head of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov during a visit to Moscow. He urged Moscow to begin negotiations before the military and economic situation worsens further, The New York Times (NYT) reported, citing current and former US officials.
NYT reveals details of CIA chief's secret visit to Moscow
According to the publication, John Ratcliffe met with Bortnikov in Moscow on August 25. Some sources explained the choice of the head of the Federal Security Service as an intermediary by the past of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the special services.
According to them, Putin may perceive information conveyed through the CIA director as more reliable than information received through traditional diplomatic channels.
The NYT also noted that there is a direct communication channel between Ratcliffe and Bortnikov, which operates independently of other communication channels.
**The CIA paid attention to the losses of the Russian army**
According to the newspaper, CIA officials have doubts that Putin is being provided with complete and reliable information about the true course of the war in Ukraine and the scale of the losses of the Russian army.
The NYT did not disclose the exact content of the message that Ratcliffe conveyed to Bortnikov. However, it was noted that its main content coincides with some of the views expressed by the CIA director earlier in public.
In particular, Ratcliffe said in July that over the past year and a half, Russia has occupied only about 1 percent of Ukrainian territory. He explained this by the rapid development of the unmanned aerial vehicle sector in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The CIA director also spoke about the high losses of Russian soldiers on the front.
However, according to the NYT, during the meeting with Bortnikov, Ratcliffe did not threaten what consequences could occur if Putin did not take into account the message delivered by the United States and did not stop the military operations.
The CIA director also spoke with Ukrainian representatives before the meeting in Moscow. He stated that the purpose of the visit to Kiev was to study Moscow's position, and not to agree on any concessions with Russia on behalf of Ukraine.
**There are different versions about the purpose of Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow**
John Ratcliffe arrived in Russia on August 25 on a US Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft and left the country a few hours later.
The Washington Post wrote that the visit was related to contacts between intelligence services.