The Other Half of the Story – CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s Visit to Moscow
Western media are reporting that CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow, Russia, to warn his Russian counterpart Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), about striking back against Baltic states. {CITATION} However, that’s only half of the story.
Director Ratcliffe wasn’t simply telling Naryshkin not to hit back; he was telling Naryshkin that European NATO provocations against the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad (between Poland and Lithuania) were not ‘fully’ sanctioned by the United States. {CITATION Aug 18}
EU NATO members have been conducting provocative military operations and psychological warfare via NATO exercises all around Kaliningrad. They have been getting more aggressive with each series of maneuvers. The Trump administration (DoW) recently removed the head of U.S-NATO operations over this background strategy. What the western media will not tell us is that Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commander of the Army’s V Corps, was removed from command over this planned operation {citation Aug 7}.
Apparently, European NATO is increasingly trying to provoke expanded conflict with Russia, while President Trump and CIA Director John Ratcliffe attempt to tamp down the problems being created. This is all connected to the expanded drone activity recently reported in media (Germany – Leipzig airport and Romania citations}, which looks increasingly like covert Ukraine intelligence operations. There are some reports that western intelligence linked Russia to the Leipzig airport drone, so perhaps Director Ratcliffe also carried that intelligence message.
The bottom line is there’s a lot of sketchy ‘fog of war’ stuff happening, and U.S. intelligence has a responsibility to the Trump administration to try and contain any significant issues involving escalation. Hence, Ratcliffe’s message saying we are not trying to provoke you, so don’t put us in a situation where we end up defending NATO because you retaliate against all of this activity happening outside Ukraine’s borders.
Ukraine intelligence operations blew up the Nordstream pipeline {CITATION}, then dumped it in the lap of Joe Biden and walked away. That hot mess ended up with weeks of the U.S. having to fabricate some alternative narrative that Russia bombed their own pipeline. Ukraine intelligence services also carried out the bombing in Monaco {CITATION} then killed the Ukraine Intelligence asset to cover their tracks. Ukraine intelligence also carried out the bombing in central Moscow {CITATION – Balzi Rossi}.
So, who or what is essentially Ukraine Intelligence?
That’s likely British intelligence (MI6), who have been conducting these covert operations using Ukrainian figures. The same British intelligence that has now sanctioned Storm Shadow missiles for Ukraine to build {CITATION}. Again, more provocation and more urgent need for U.S. officials to try and avoid expanded conflict. Who is the MI6 partner agency, that’s the CIA; that’s where Director John Ratcliffe comes in.
All of this is very alarming to say the least. Europe is essentially doing everything they can to provoke Russia into a retaliatory posture, while the USA is telling Russia not to retaliate. This is how wars get expanded. However, Russia doesn’t pretend not to know things.
Simultaneous to this, Ratcliffe likely also discussed Iran and Syria from an intelligence and strategic U.S. policy position.
The day before Ratcliffe flew to Moscow, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained that President Trump had launched several emissary missions around “Operation Economic Outcast”{CITATION}, obviously talks with Russia about the vulnerabilities of sanctioning targeting were a part of that strategic conversation.
In the hours after Ratcliffe departed Moscow, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced: “Today, I authorized the formal rescission of Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST), following the conclusion of the mandatory 45-day Congressional notification period. I have also delisted Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). These actions represent another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity.” {CITATION} Russia is a stakeholder in the outcome within Syria.
Yes, John Ratcliffe outlined how Russia should not attack NATO allies; how the U.S. would appreciate support in staying out of Iran, and how President Trump is trying to resolve overall Mideast peace vis-a-vis Syria and beyond.
That’s a more fulsome outline of the key areas of message relayed by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to SVR Head Sergey Naryshkin.
Or put another way, what President Trump calls “semi-routine,” but he acknowledged it was about bringing the war to a close. “I hate to disappoint people. We would like to see the war with Ukraine end,” he said. {CITATION}
Semi-related: Within the Ukraine friction points CTH has previously noted we should pay close attention to both Moldova and Romania. We should now add Finland to that list. I am told that Finland is currently on alert for covert Ukraine “intelligence” operations using Finland as a launch region for increased drone attacks toward the St Petersburg region.
Saint Petersburg, Russia, is the fourth-most populous city in Europe, the most populous city on the Baltic Sea, and the world’s northernmost city of more than 1 million residents. As the former capital of the Russian Empire, and a historically strategic Baltic port, it is governed as a federal city. Russian President Vladimir Putin is from there.
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