CIA Director Ratcliffe may have informed Putin of Russia’s difficult situation, - NYT
During his visit to Moscow, CIA Director John Ratcliffe may have provided FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov with an assessment of Russia’s actual position in the war against Ukraine and urged the Kremlin to begin serious negotiations to bring it to an end.
According to Censor.NET, The New York Times reports this, citing current and former US officials.
According to the publication, the CIA fears that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin may not be receiving accurate information from his advisers about the course of the war and the Russian army’s actual losses.
The NYT’s sources claim that during his conversation with Bortnikov, Ratcliffe made it clear that, given Russia’s military and economic difficulties, Moscow should agree to serious negotiations on ending the war before the situation deteriorates further.
At the same time, according to the newspaper, the CIA director did not make any threats nor did he warn of possible consequences from the US should Putin refuse to negotiate.
The communication channel operates in parallel with other contacts
The NYT notes that the contact between Ratcliffe and Bortnikov exists alongside other channels of communication between US President Donald Trump’s administration and the Kremlin.
In particular, these contacts involve Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Some US officials believe that Putin, who previously worked for the Soviet secret services, may regard the CIA director’s assessment as more credible and urgent than a similar message conveyed through diplomatic channels.
The US assesses the Russian offensive as a failure
According to the NYT, the advance of Russian troops on the front line has effectively stalled, whilst the Russian army continues to suffer significant losses.
In July, Ratcliffe stated that the average lifespan of a Russian soldier on the front line was less than 35 minutes.
He also noted that during his 18 months as CIA director, Russia had seized around 1 per cent of Ukraine’s territory. To a large extent, he said, the advance of Russian troops had been held back by Ukraine’s effective use of drones.
Before his trip, Ratcliffe spoke with the Ukrainian side
Before meeting Bortnikov, Ratcliffe, according to the NYT, held talks with his Ukrainian counterparts.
He assured them that during his visit to Moscow he would seek to ascertain the Russian side’s position and would not negotiate any potential territorial or other concessions on Ukraine’s part.
Ratcliffe and Bortnikov had previously been in contact regarding the exchange of prisoners of war. However, this week’s meeting in Moscow marked their first face-to-face contact.
