An adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, said it is
unclear why CIA director John Ratcliffe went to Moscow and various theories are
circulating. The Kremlin said Putin’s schedule was adjusted and a planned
Tuesday event involving hundreds was postponed. Ratcliffe, like Secretary of
State Rubio, is widely viewed as a hawk and some see the visit as a warning that
the US could take a tougher line if Russia refuses to end the conflict. US media
recently reported that US intelligence has warned Russia may seek attacks on
NATO European states to probe alliance unity, a second possible context for the
trip.
