CIA Director in Moscow Delivered a Critical Assessment of Russia's Situation to the Kremlin and Called for Negotiations – NYT

CIA Director John Ratcliffe during a secret visit to Moscow conveyed to the Russian side an extremely negative assessment of Russia's situation in the war against Ukraine and called on the Kremlin to begin serious negotiations before the military and economic situation for Russia worsens.

As reported by The New York Times, citing current and former American officials, Ratcliffe presented this position to FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov. At the same time, the CIA chief did not threaten Moscow with specific consequences if Vladimir Putin refused negotiations and decided to continue the war.

According to the publication, American intelligence has long questioned whether Putin receives objective information from his entourage about the progress of the war and the scale of losses. That is why some American officials expected that the assessment delivered directly by the CIA Director to the Russian leadership through the intelligence services would be taken more seriously than signals through normal diplomatic channels.

Ratcliffe, in particular, pointed to heavy losses of Russian troops and limited results of offensive operations. He had previously said publicly that in 18 months Russia was able to capture only about 1% of Ukraine's territory, attributing the containment of the Russian offensive, among other things, to Ukraine's effective use of drones.

The communication channel between Ratcliffe and Bortnikov exists parallel to contacts that US presidential representative Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner maintain with other high-ranking Russian officials. The CIA has also for many years maintained communication channels with the FSB and the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.

Before the meeting with Bortnikov, the CIA Director held consultations with Ukrainian partners. According to the NYT, he assured Kyiv that he intends to ascertain Moscow's position, not to negotiate concessions on behalf of Ukraine. At the same time, the CIA's intelligence cooperation with the Ukrainian side, which has been developing for more than ten years, continues.

Ratcliffe's trip was another attempt by the Trump administration to restart the negotiation process to end the war. According to the sources, Washington assumes that Ukraine has no intention of giving up the fight for its territories in the east even after the reduction of American military aid and greater dependence on European partners.

European diplomats, as the NYT writes, suggest that opportunities for agreements may emerge during the winter months. They link this to the slowdown of the Russian offensive in Donbas and Ukraine's ability to inflict significant losses on Russia with long-range drones.

Previously, another aspect of the CIA Director's Moscow visit was reported. According to Politico, Ratcliffe warned the Russian side against escalation against NATO countries, especially the Baltic states, and also called on Moscow to reduce military and economic support for Iran.

Based on materials: The New York Times