CIA Director John Ratcliffe makes secret visit to Moscow

CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly flew to Moscow on Tuesday, according to reports. The purpose of Ratcliffe's trip to Russia remains unclear, though inside sources who spoke with CBS News said he is attending meetings. His visit marks the first time since 2021—months before Russia invaded Ukraine—that a CIA director has traveled to the country.

Flight Tracking and Observations

News of Ratcliffe's involvement emerged amid intense speculation surrounding a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III transport plane spotted flying from Riga, Latvia, to Vnukovo Airport just outside Moscow.

• An observer at Riga Airport on Tuesday described seeing an aircraft similar in shape, color, and size to a U.S. Air Force C-40B—typically used to transport senior U.S. government officials and military commanders—alongside the C-17, as well as several cars with diplomatic plates.
• Air traffic trackers recorded the C-40's flight path originating at Joint Base Andrews and landing in Riga.
• Moscow residents shared video of the envoy's arrival, showing multiple SUVs with tinted windows moving through city traffic with a heavy police escort.

Official Silence

Neither the U.S. nor Russia has commented on the trip or offered any insight into who is participating in the meetings. The Kremlin announced Tuesday that no talks between Moscow and U.S. envoys were expected this week.

"No, there are no such plans," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference when asked whether more talks had been scheduled to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump administration officials reportedly asked Kyiv not to strike Moscow, St. Petersburg, or the northern regions of Russia between Monday and Wednesday, to which Ukraine agreed, according to the Financial Times.

The CIA's press office did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication.

Historical Context

Former CIA Director William Burns was the last CIA chief to visit Moscow, doing so in November 2021 to warn senior Russian officials and President Vladimir Putin against war with Ukraine. Four years into the conflict, peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have made little progress.

Ukraine's Domestic Situation

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is facing a domestic crisis alongside the ongoing war. Last week, ousted Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov accused Zelenskiy's administration of rampant corruption and called for a wartime poll to potentially unseat the former comedian, despite regional laws preventing elections during wartime. Zelenskiy told reporters Sunday that he believed holding an election at this time would "destroy" Ukraine.

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GOP Midterm Convention Draws Criticism

The Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention is quickly becoming a Trump-style grift, according to reports.

Puck reports that the National Republican Campaign Committee, which is hosting the September event, is asking House members to pay a minimum of $25,000 to attend the two-day event in Dallas with a guest, with higher packages costing up to $100,000. Additionally, the event is accepting corporate sponsorship dollars, which go to a nonprofit that does not have to disclose its donors.

The convention includes no actual party business, as no candidates are being nominated—unlike in presidential election years. The event appears to have been planned haphazardly, with invitations only going out in recent weeks to Republican leaders and lawmakers, many of whom have other commitments.

"It's yet another opportunity to shake down corporate America," one Republican strategist told Puck, adding that it has turned into a "shit show."

"Nobody understands why we're doing a midterm convention. It's just another show that Trump is going to put on to remind the voters that he is sitting there, and maybe they don't want to be reminded of that," the strategist added.

The convention is scheduled for September 9 and 10, just before the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.