CIA Director Ratcliffe's Secret Moscow Visit Aimed to Deter NATO Attacks and Curb Russia-Iran Ties

CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced eight-hour visit to Moscow on August 25, 2026, meeting Russia's SVR chief Sergei Naryshkin to warn against attacking NATO states — particularly Baltic nations — and to press for reduced Russian support to Iran. Ratcliffe is among the highest-ranking U.S. officials to visit Russia since the Ukraine war began in 2022. The Kremlin called NATO-attack reports "scare stories."