CIA Director John Ratcliffe held meetings with Russian intelligence officials during a visit to Moscow on Tuesday, the Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday.
Ratcliffe did not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Putin was nevertheless briefed promptly on the outcome of the discussions, Peskov said.
The visit took place against the backdrop of an escalating war in Ukraine and stalled efforts to revive the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal. Peskov declined to disclose the topics covered in the meetings or provide further details about the discussions.
He emphasized that intelligence channels between the two countries often remain active even during periods of severe bilateral strain. While such contacts persist, Peskov said it remains unclear whether they will meaningfully improve relations, which he described as being in a "profound crisis."
"All I can tell you is that there have been contacts via the security services," Peskov told reporters. "I can tell you that there have been no meetings with the Russian president. Naturally, President Putin is kept informed of everything without delay."
"These contacts often continue even during the most difficult periods in bilateral relations," he added. "However, it is still too early to say to what extent this will, overall, help to steer our bilateral relations out of the profound crisis in which they currently find themselves."
