CIA Chief Reportedly Warned Russia Its Economy Could Collapse Like the Soviet Union

CIA Director John Ratcliffe warned Russian officials that Russia’s economy could collapse in a Soviet-style crisis if the war continues, German outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on September 26.

A senior diplomat familiar with the CIA’s briefing to Western partner services after Ratcliffe’s late-August visit to Moscow told FAZ that the intelligence assessment was the trip’s central purpose. “Russia is losing the war,” the diplomat described the US assessment as concluding.

Earlier reporting had already indicated that Ratcliffe brought Moscow a bleak assessment of Russia’s deteriorating military and economic position, after which the Russian leader Vladimir Putin reportedly canceled a planned meeting with him.

The latest FAZ account provides additional detail on the economic warning delivered during the visit.

According to FAZ, the US assessment distinguished between Russia’s military situation and its longer-term economic position. American intelligence reportedly viewed the battlefield as moving toward a stalemate, while concluding that Russia could not sustain the war economically.

“The economy will collapse, just as the Soviet Union did at the end of the Cold War,” the diplomat told FAZ, describing the assessment presented to Moscow.

Read more

Category

World

CIA Chief Told Moscow Russia Is Getting Weaker—Putin Reportedly Canceled Their Meeting

Sep 01, 2026 13:00

The message was also tied directly to US policy toward Ukraine, the report noted. Washington wanted Moscow to understand that the assessment shaped its approach, and that Russia’s position would weaken over time.

Putin therefore should not expect US President Donald Trump eventually to abandon Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to FAZ. The resulting American message to Moscow was straightforward: “Negotiate!”

FAZ reported that the assessment also influenced how some European officials interpreted Washington’s recent diplomacy toward Russia, including Trump’s invitation for Putin to attend the G20 summit in Miami in December.

Russia’s economic strain has also been visible in its construction sector, where bankruptcies rose 41% year over year by early September. Housing demand fell sharply across several regions as developers faced high borrowing costs, inflation, and mounting debt.

Support our frontline reporters

We report from the front lines to show the reality of war. Your support helps us stay there and tell the stories that matter.

DONATE NOW