President Donald Trump has weighed in on speculation surrounding CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Russia.
Radio host Glenn Beck pressed Trump on why Ratcliffe made an overnight trip to Moscow to meet with Russian leaders.
Trump’s comments about the rare visit come at a time when relations between Washington and Russia remain strained over the conflict with U.S. ally Ukraine.
“We would like to see the war in Ukraine end,” Trump added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ratcliffe did not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Of course, President Putin is immediately informed of everything,” Peskov added, declining to disclose details on the talks.
Peskov added that “contacts between intelligence agencies are, in and of themselves, a positive phenomenon, a positive process,” but emphasized that Russia-U.S. relations remain in a “profound crisis.”
He also said that it was “too early to say” what impact Ratcliffe’s visit would have on the ties between the two countries.
A U.S. military aircraft arrived at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport on Tuesday and left later that same day, Russia state media reported.
In the early morning hours of Feb. 24, 2022, Putin announced what Russia described as a "special military operation." Russian forces began attacking Ukraine from multiple directions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, described Russia's invasion as an attack on its sovereignty and independence.
During Wednesday's interview, Trump expressed some optimism about Ratcliffe’s visit and said both sides want to see an end to the conflict.
“Something may come out of it,” Trump said about the visit. “We’re working very hard to get that war ended,” adding that Ratcliffe is “fantastic” as head of the CIA.
Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Putin’s Security Council, said details of Tuesday’s discussions have not been revealed but such talks typically take place only when there is a matter of pressing national security and in the interest of the United States.
Efforts to broker a peace deal have largely stalled as U.S. attention shifts toward its war with Iran, while Moscow and Kyiv intensify their long-range strikes against each other. Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected Zelenskyy’s call for an immediate ceasefire, saying Russia is seeking a comprehensive settlement rather than a temporary truce.