The Wall Street Journal reported CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a sensitive
diplomatic visit to Russia this week that several senior White House officials
did not know about in advance. US officials said President Trump personally
dispatched Ratcliffe and kept aids and senior military leaders who would
normally be informed off the trip; those officials did not know what message
Ratcliffe was to deliver to senior Kremlin officials. The report says Trump
chose to send the intelligence chief after previous trusted diplomatic envoys
failed to prevent escalation in negotiations.