The CIA Director’s Not-So-Secret Trip to Moscow

This episode unpacks the potential purposes and implications of CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s recent surprise trip to Moscow.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guest:

Stephen Sestanovich, George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies, CFR

We Discuss:

What is actually known about CIA Director John Ratcliffe's unannounced trip to Moscow, and how the visit became public.

Whether Ratcliffe's conspicuous arrival by military aircraft across the Latvian border suggests the publicity was deliberate rather than a failed attempt at secrecy.

Competing explanations for the visit's purpose, from warning Russia against escalation to sending a message on Iran.

How unusual it is for a CIA director to make such a trip, and how it compares to Bill Burns's 2021 visit to Moscow.

How the intended audiences for the visit may include not just the Kremlin but also Russian and European elites, as well as the U.S. Congress as it weighs a new Russia sanctions bill.

Whether the trip is part of an effort to relieve domestic political pressure on Donald Trump, who faces demands to get tough on Russia.