According to one of the publication's sources, the main goal of Ratcliffe's visit was to warn Moscow against escalatory actions regarding the Baltic states. A second source added that the CIA chief also attempted to convince the Russian side to reduce military and economic support for Iran. Earlier, The Wall Street Journal also reported that Ratcliffe warned Russia not to attack NATO countries. The newspaper did not provide additional details. As reported, on Tuesday morning, the CIA director unexpectedly arrived in Moscow from Riga on an American military plane and returned in the evening. U.S. President Donald Trump stated in an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Wednesday that Ratcliffe's trip to Moscow was "routine" and that the ongoing war initiated by Russia against Ukraine was discussed during it. "We would like the war against Ukraine to end," Trump added. Press Secretary of Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, for his part, stated that the purpose of Ratcliffe's visit was "contacts between intelligence services" and that there was no meeting with Putin.
