The visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow may be primarily related to the Ukraine issue, according to American affairs analyst Malek Dudakov. He also believes that the situation surrounding Iran could have been among the topics discussed.
Officially, the CIA chief’s trip has been described as an effort to establish contacts between the two countries' security services. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a meeting between Ratcliffe and Russian President Vladimir Putin was not scheduled as part of the visit.
Dudakov believes the actual purpose of the trip will eventually become known, noting that information about such contacts often quickly finds its way into the U.S. media.
Iran could have been one of the issues on the agenda. Shortly before the visit, the Trump administration announced plans to hold consultations with Tehran’s partners in an effort to persuade them to reduce cooperation with Iran. Dudakov, however, considers any attempt by Washington to convince Moscow to change its relationship with Tehran unlikely to produce results.
He sees Ukraine as a more likely central topic. With roughly 70 days remaining before the U.S. congressional elections, Trump needs to demonstrate progress on unresolved foreign policy issues before voters go to the polls. Dudakov believes the U.S. president expects an unfavorable election outcome that could subsequently weaken his negotiating position, giving the White House an incentive to intensify contacts with Moscow now.
The analyst also drew attention to Ratcliffe’s own position on Ukraine. Dudakov described the CIA director as a pro-Ukrainian hawk who has consistently supported assistance to Kyiv and, in particular, advocated the resumption of U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine in 2025.