CIA Director Proposes Trilateral Meeting with Putin, Trump, and Zelensky
CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently proposed a trilateral meeting involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky during his covert visit to Moscow. This initiative is aimed at seeking a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to reports from Axios citing sources familiar with the discussions.
Ratcliffe's unannounced trip took place on August 25, and the following day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that there had been contact between the intelligence services of the two countries. However, Peskov clarified that President Putin did not meet with the CIA chief. He described the interaction as a "positive phenomenon" but refrained from providing further details.
The head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergei Naryshkin, later confirmed that he had met with Ratcliffe during the visit. Naryshkin indicated that their discussions were focused on matters pertinent to the intelligence services. Reports also suggest that Ratcliffe met with Alexander Bortnikov, the Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Following the Moscow talks, US officials briefed President Zelensky on the discussions and the proposed trilateral summit. They also indicated that Ratcliffe had explored the possibility of restarting peace talks regarding the conflict.
In a recent statement, Trump characterized Ratcliffe's visit as "semi-routine." When asked about the specifics of the discussions, including whether they involved NATO or US sanctions on Iran, Trump responded that those topics were not addressed.
This visit marks the first known trip to Moscow by a CIA director since William Burns visited in November 2021. The last face-to-face meeting between the CIA and SVR chiefs occurred in Ankara in November 2022, where they discussed nuclear escalation risks and the detention of US citizens.
The last publicly acknowledged contact between Ratcliffe and a senior Russian official was a phone call in March 2025 with SVR chief Sergey Naryshkin, during which both sides agreed to maintain dialogue to promote international stability and security, as well as to reduce tensions between Moscow and Washington.
