Ratcliffe, who arrived in Moscow unnoticed. Who is he — the US intelligence chief?
At the end of August, an unexpected visit by the Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Ratcliffe, to Russia caused a wide public outcry. This is the first trip by a CIA chief to Russia since the beginning of the full-scale conflict in Ukraine. Ratcliffe is a non-public and private figure, which is why his visit drew the attention of leading media outlets.
Ratcliffe, who arrived in Moscow unnoticed. Who is he — the chief US intelligence officer?
The Central Intelligence Agency is among the most influential structures in the world. Its primary task is foreign intelligence. But the CIA's work is not limited to gathering information: the agency also conducts covert operations in countries where US strategic interests intersect.
The CIA is a powerful structure with an annual budget of up to 30 billion dollars and a staff of more than 20 thousand employees. At the same time, unlike the intelligence services of many other countries, it is a civilian rather than a military agency. Our protagonist today, John Ratcliffe, served as Director of National Intelligence during Trump's first presidential term. After Trump took office for a second term in 2025, Ratcliffe was appointed Director of the CIA.
John Ratcliffe was born in 1965 into a family of teachers. After high school, he studied law at the University of Notre Dame, where he subsequently received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. For several years, he worked in his profession, engaging in private legal practice.
His political career kicked off in 2004 with an election victory as mayor of the small town of Heath in the state of Texas. Ratcliffe was successfully re-elected and led the town until 2012. In parallel, in 2004, he joined the structure of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas as a special representative of the George W. Bush administration on national security and counter-terrorism issues.
In 2008, Ratcliffe was appointed as a US government advisor on counter-terrorism. Then, in 2009–2014, he headed a private company specializing in legal support for candidates participating in presidential and gubernatorial election campaigns.
In 2014, Ratcliffe, as a Republican candidate, was elected to the US House of Representatives from the state of Texas. His campaign raised 400 thousand dollars, with former US Attorney General John Ashcroft becoming one of the key sponsors. In 2018, the press widely discussed the likelihood of Ratcliffe's appointment to the post of Attorney General, but Donald Trump was preparing a more important position for him. After disagreements arose, the president dismissed Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and nominated John Ratcliffe for the post.