Kremlin denies planned talks with US envoys amid reports CIA head in Russia

Meanwhile, the United States' spy chief is reportedly visiting Moscow for meetings, according to US media outlets, even as the Kremlin notes no negotiations with US envoys are planned this week.

Key points

• If confirmed, the reports of his visit would mark the first such trip since then-CIA Director William Burns travelled to Moscow in 2021.
• CBS News, citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation, documented that CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in the Russian capital on Tuesday.
• Axios separately confirmed the highest-level visit by a Trump administration official to Russia since January, quoting a US official.
• "No, there are no such plans, " Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked to journalists during a press briefing on Tuesday.
• Asked regarding reports that a US military plane landed in Moscow on Tuesday morning, Peskov stated he had "no such information".

Notably, the outlets did not say whom he was session or what the negotiations are projected to cover. The CIA declined to comment, according to the Reuters news agency.

Meanwhile, the news comes after a US military transport aircraft travelled from Riga to Moscow, according to flight-tracking websites.

As Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations remain stalled, russia, meanwhile, remarked no negotiations between Moscow and US envoys are planned this week.

Earlier, data from Flightradar24 indicated a US military C-17 travelling from the US to Latvia and then on to Moscow, having departed Riga airport at 05: 50 GMT and landing at almost 07: 04 GMT.

Afterwards, the ⁠plane ⁠believed to be carrying Ratcliffe departed Moscow, according to data on the flight-tracking website.

Ratcliffe's documented visit comes as US-brokered negotiations aimed at ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine have stalled. But Moscow earlier this month freed a former US Marine detained since 2022 against the backdrop of worries regarding his health.

According to Axios additionally, washington informed Ukraine of a senior delegation traveling to Moscow in advance and asked it to suspend strikes until it leaves, quoting a source with knowledge of the matter.

In practice, the Iran war is additionally a live problem between Washington and Tehran's ally, Moscow.

CIA Director Ratcliffe has been reportedly central to high-profile prisoner exchanges between the US and Russia since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, including the release of a US-Russian dual national, Ksenia Karelina.

In short, kremlin denies planned talks with US envoys amid reports CIA head in is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.