Why did CIA chief John Ratcliffe secretly visit Moscow? What we know

The US CIA chief John Ratcliffe secretly visited Moscow for meetings with Russian officials as reported by US media outlets, citing unnamed sources.

Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow is marked by the first known since his predecessor, William Burns, held talks with Vladimir Putin in November 2021, three months before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The CIA director flew from Joint Base Andrews to Moscow's Vnukovo Airport via Riga, Latvia, spending four to eight and a half hours in meetings described only as security service contacts—no Putin involved.

The Kremlin confirmed the visit but it remained tight-lipped about the reasons for visiting Moscow. However, Kremlin spokesperson Demitry Peskov said that the visit was for “contacts between security services.”

On the other hand, the Pentagon, US Air Force and CIA did not disclose the actual reason. But the announcement of the CIA chief’s unusual visit to Moscow raised various speculations and theories.

Core theories behind the visit

Experts and media outlets have narrowed down the secret mission’s potential reasons as the visit comes in the midst of Iran and Ukraine conflict.

Analysts suggest Ratcliffe may have delivered a stark warning regarding intelligence that Russia is preparing a major military mobilization, potentially 500,000 soldiers, to open a new front or test NATO unity.

The message could have amounted to: "We know what you are planning, and you better not do it."

Some theories suggest US efforts to mediate between Ukraine and Moscow. The visit may have been an attempt to see if Moscow remains open to negotiating an end to the conflict.

John Foreman, who served as a British military attaché to Moscow between 2019 and 2022, told Radio 4’s PM programme that it had to be something serious.

“The Americans don’t normally send such a high-ranking official to Moscow unannounced at short notice unless something is up,” it added.

Some linked this visit to prisoner swap efforts. Given the CIA’s historical involvement in securing the release of Americans, the secret visit could involve negotiations regarding releasing US citizens held behind Russian bars.

Some speculations brought up the issue of Iran. Russia has been a major ally and trading partner of Iran. The visit could be related to pressing Moscow to cut off assistance to Iran amid US sanctions.

Some social media posts suggest that the US might have asked for Russia’s help in convincing Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

One post on X reads, “Russian officials have briefed Iran that the CIA Director Ratcliffe's Moscow visit delivered a message with the US asking Moscow to press Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that Russian entities would otherwise face designations under Operation Economic Outcast. Russia declined, and told Iran the threatened measures were of limited consequence, according to two senior Iranian sources with knowledge of the briefing.”

Another post read, "CIA boss John Ratcliffe went to Russia for two reasons: 1) the US is trying to stop Russia from attacking a NATO country, and 2) to ask Moscow not to help Iran and to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Unfortunately, I believe this was a lost cause."

However, the real motive behind the visit has yet remained undisclosed.