CIA Director's Secret Moscow Trip Aimed to Deter NATO Attacks and Limit Russia-Iran Ties

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