×

Russia’s foreign spy chief confirms he held talks with CIA director in Moscow

By Thomson Reuters Aug 27, 2026 | 3:39 AM

MOSCOW, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence ​service, said on Thursday ‌that he had held a “working-level meeting” with CIA director John Ratcliffe in Moscow earlier this week ‌and ​that they ⁠had discussed unspecified ⁠and sensitive matters falling within the remit of their respective intelligence services.

Naryshkin said the ​fact that they had met was nothing unusual.

U.S. ⁠President Donald Trump ⁠has described Ratcliffe’s visit – ​which came as the war ​in Ukraine drags on and ‌as efforts to reach a lasting peace between the United States and Iran ⁠have stalled – as “semi-routine” and the Kremlin has been tight-lipped about what was ⁠discussed.

At ‌least two U.S. ⁠media outlets have cited ​their ‌own sources as saying ​Ratcliffe warned ⁠Russia not to attack any NATO member state. Neither Washington nor Moscow has confirmed that.

(Reporting by ReutersEditing by ​Andrew Osborn )