The New York Times claims to know what the CIA Director Ratcliffe was in Moscow to do. They say Ratcliffe, an anti-Russia hawk, was there to deliver a bleak picture of winning in Ukraine and to tell Russia to negotiate for peace. The Russians have suffered massive losses, and their battlefield gains have stalled.
The Times reports:
John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, made a secret visit to Moscow this week to share his bleak assessment of the state of Russia’s war against Ukraine and urge the Russians to cut a deal before their military and economic situation worsens, current and former officials said.
Mr. Ratcliffe delivered the message to Aleksandr V. Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s F.S.B. intelligence service, and made no threats about potential consequences for the Russian side should President Vladimir V. Putin ignore the C.I.A. director’s assessment and choose to continue fighting.
C.I.A. analysts have long questioned whether Mr. Putin’s advisers have given him honest assessments of the war’s trajectory and toll.
The C.I.A. has long maintained communications channels with the F.S.B. and Russia’s foreign intelligence service, which is known as the S.V.R.
Ratcliffe wants them to understand that they are in a dead-end war. The Times said the administration wants to breathe new life into the negotiations. Ratcliffe is running a parallel campaign to that of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who are softer on Russia.
The video presents alternative views that provide more context. It’s an excellent analysis with factual material to back it up.