"We Know Your Plans": CIA Director's Secret Visit to Moscow Sends Strong Warning to Russia
According to sources in U.S. intelligence channels cited by The Wall Street Journal, CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly flew to Moscow, with his core mission being to convey a verbal warning from President Trump directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that Russia is preparing for a new round of nationwide mobilization, while the Kremlin is also reportedly planning to test the security limits of NATO member states. Ratcliffe’s visit was specifically aimed at conducting high-level, confidential communication on these matters.
Notably, the earliest public reports about Russia’s alleged plans to "test NATO resilience" also originated from The Wall Street Journal.
Regarding widespread speculation about a fall mobilization, Russian officials have repeatedly denied such claims publicly. Even some Western media outlets have concluded that, given the current battlefield situation, Russia currently lacks the practical necessity to launch another large-scale conscription campaign.
Beth Sanner, former U.S. Deputy National Intelligence Officer, interpreted the signals conveyed during this secret visit, describing the underlying message from Washington as blunt: “We know all your plans—don’t even think about carrying them out.”
The report notes that the intelligence Washington has obtained most likely comes from Ukrainian sources. In addition to information about Russia’s mobilization preparations, the intelligence includes details about the Russian General Staff’s Main Intelligence Directorate planning to expand overseas special sabotage operations, as well as indications of Russian drones being spotted over targets in Germany, Bulgaria, and Romania.
Overall analysis suggests that the topics discussed during Ratcliffe’s meeting in Moscow extend beyond mobilization and NATO-related risks. The two sides also addressed Russia’s military assistance to Iran, and the United States fully communicated its position on the Ukraine conflict. This visit evokes memories of November 2021, just before the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, when then-CIA Director William Burns also traveled to Moscow for a similar high-risk, confidential diplomatic effort aimed at preemptively assessing and managing the situation.
Additional media reports indicate that to ensure the high-level talks proceeded without interference, the U.S. had previously requested Ukraine to suspend all attacks against Moscow for the entire duration of Ratcliffe’s stay in Russia, in order to avoid any military actions disrupting the secret negotiations.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1874540202217475/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author