Media: Putin Changed His Mind At The Last Minute About Meeting With The CIA Director

• 1.09.2026, 11:40

The decision was made after the Kremlin learned the contents of the message from the American intelligence officer.

Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin was prepared to meet personally with CIA Director John Ratcliffe during his visit to Moscow, but backed out of the talks at the last minute.

According to a source from “The Agency”, the decision was made after the Kremlin learned the contents of the American intelligence officer’s message.

Ratcliffe, according to a source close to the project, arrived in Moscow with a call to end the war against Ukraine as soon as possible.

He reasoned that Russia’s military and economic situation is deteriorating and that it is in Moscow’s best interest to reach an agreement now, before the situation becomes even more dire.

During his visit on August 25, the CIA director met with SVR Director Sergey Naryshkin, as well as, according to Western media reports, FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov.

After one of the meetings, the content of the talks was allegedly relayed to Putin, after which it was decided to cancel a face-to-face meeting between the Russian president and Ratcliffe.

A source at “The Agency” claims that the Kremlin viewed the American’s message as excessively harsh. “His message made it seem as if Zelenskyy was already standing on Poklonnaya Hill, looking at the Kremlin through binoculars,” the source said.

According to him, the Kremlin’s reaction can be summed up by the phrase: “It seems Ratcliffe sent his message to the wrong address.” However, the source could not say whether the CIA director’s position reflected the opinion of the entire administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.