Kathmandu— United States CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently met with Russian intelligence officials in Moscow, though he did not have an audience with President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday. The visit, which took place a day after Ratcliffe arrived in the Russian capital and involved a US Air Force C-17A cargo plane and diplomatic convoy, marks the first known trip to Russia by a CIA director since 2021. While details remain limited, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the talks as a “positive development,” acknowledging Putin had been briefed on the meeting.

Details of the Meeting

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Ratcliffe’s visit to reporters, clarifying that no meetings took place between the CIA director and President Putin. However, Peskov indicated that Putin was informed about the discussions held with Russian intelligence officials. The talks are seen as a potentially positive step, though Peskov cautioned it is “too early to say to what extent this will affect the overall process of bringing our bilateral relations out of the deepest crisis they are currently in”.

US Notification to Ukraine

Reports emerged that the United States provided advance notice of Ratcliffe’s delegation to Ukraine and requested a temporary pause in strikes on Russian territory while the visit was underway. This request suggests an effort to ensure the safety of the US officials during their time in Moscow.

The Kremlin has indicated cautious optimism regarding the talks, but it remains unclear what impact they will have on broader US-Russia relations.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.