CIA Director Visited Moscow, and the US Asked Ukraine to Pause Attacks

CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials in Moscow, the Kremlin confirmed. Axios reported Washington told Kyiv in advance and asked Ukraine to pause strikes on Russia while the visit was underway — a sign the US treated the talks as sensitive. A Kremlin spokesperson called it a "positive development" but said it was too early to judge the impact. Putin was briefed but did not meet Ratcliffe directly.