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

Russian leader Vladimir Putin reportedly canceled a planned meeting with CIA Director John Ratcliffe after learning that the US intelligence chief had come to Moscow with a blunt message: Russia’s military and economic position in its war against Ukraine is deteriorating, and the Kremlin would be better off making a deal now than waiting until it grows weaker.

Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on August 25 and met with Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin and Federal Security Service director Alexander Bortnikov, independent Russian outlet Agentstvo reported on September 1.

The central purpose of the rare visit was reportedly to urge Russia’s leadership to move quickly toward an agreement ending its war against Ukraine.

According to the report, the US intelligence assessment presented in Moscow concluded that Russia’s military and economic situation is steadily worsening, meaning delaying negotiations could leave the Kremlin bargaining from an increasingly unfavorable position.

Ratcliffe reportedly delivered what was described as his own “bleak assessment” of Russia’s situation during talks with Bortnikov.

Putin had initially been prepared to meet Ratcliffe personally and had reportedly cleared time in his schedule for the discussion.

That changed after details of one of Ratcliffe’s conversations with Russia’s intelligence chiefs were relayed to the Kremlin, according to a source described by Agentstvo as close to the Russian leadership.

The message reportedly angered officials in Moscow and convinced Putin that a direct meeting was no longer worthwhile.

“His message sounded as if Zelenskyy was already standing on Poklonnaya Hill looking at the Kremlin through binoculars. Everyone understands that this is not the case,” the Kremlin-connected source said.

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The remark was intended to convey Moscow’s view that Ratcliffe had presented Russia’s position in the war as significantly worse than Kremlin officials believe it to be.

The source added that officials interpreted the CIA director’s message as though “Ratcliffe had come to the wrong address.”

It remains unclear whether Moscow believes Ratcliffe was presenting the position of the Trump administration as a whole or his own intelligence assessment.

The Kremlin has publicly confirmed that Ratcliffe did not meet Putin.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader was nevertheless immediately briefed on the outcome of the CIA director’s talks with Russian officials.

“Of course, President Putin is briefed on everything without delay,” Peskov said.

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Ratcliffe reportedly also warned Moscow that further escalation of the war against Ukraine could push President Donald Trump closer to Zelenskyy.

The CIA director’s Moscow trip was unusually high-level. It marked the first known visit to the Russian capital by a CIA chief since William Burns traveled there in November 2021, months before Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Ratcliffe’s discussions also reportedly included efforts to revive negotiations over ending the war, with US officials later briefing Ukraine on the talks.

Previously, reports emerged that Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed three classified decrees on August 25 during an unannounced visit to Moscow by US CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Decrees numbered 608, 609, and 610 were published, covering changes to the Russian ambassador to Iraq and updates to commissions on disability and veteran affairs.

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