28, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) President Donald Trump waves after arriving off Air Force One, Friday, Aug.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe proposed a trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his covert trip to Moscow this week, in a bid to revive efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Axios reported, citing two people briefed on the matter. The New York Times separately reported that he gave Bortnikov a bleak assessment of the war and pressed Russia to reach a deal before its position deteriorates further.
Ratcliffe’s talks partly focused on whether Russia’s intelligence leadership could help persuade Putin to return to US-mediated negotiations with Ukraine, according to the sources cited by Axios. Ratcliffe also floated the possibility of restarting peace negotiations, according to the sources. The Axios sources said Ratcliffe viewed Bortnikov as a constructive interlocutor who could help restart diplomatic efforts. Kyiv has said it has intelligence indicating that Russia could be preparing a major escalation.
Ratcliffe’s visit marked his first personal involvement in the Trump administration’s diplomatic push to break the deadlock between Russia and Ukraine. The CIA declined to comment on the discussions. Ukrainian officials, however, remain deeply sceptical of Putin’s intentions.
The idea has been raised by the Trump administration previously, with Zelenskyy expressing support while Putin has rejected it. He met Russian intelligence chiefs Sergey Naryshkin, head of the SVR foreign intelligence service, and FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov during his trip on Tuesday. US officials briefed Zelenskyy on Friday about Ratcliffe’s discussions in Moscow and the proposal for a three-way summit.