CIA Director Gives Kremlin Intelligence On Russian Losses That Putin Not Being Told - NYT

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) According to Ukrinform, this is the explanation for Ratcliffe's visit presented by The New York Times, whose authors cited current and former U.S. officials.

According to the newspaper's sources, the CIA doubts whether Putin is receiving accurate information from his advisers about the course of the war and Russia's losses.

Ratcliffe reportedly made it clear to FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov that, given the difficult military and economic situation, Moscow should begin serious negotiations to end the war.

At the same time, Ratcliffe reportedly made no threats or warnings about possible consequences from the United States if Putin ignored the intelligence assessment and decided to continue the war.

Read also: We know about CIA chief's visit to Moscow – Lithuanian President

According to the NYT, the communication channel between Ratcliffe and Bortnikov operates in parallel with other contacts between the Trump administration and Kremlin representatives, including through presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Some U.S. officials hope that Putin, who himself worked in intelligence, will regard the CIA director's message as more urgent and credible than if it had been delivered through ordinary diplomatic channels.

The NYT notes that Russia's battlefield offensive has stalled and Russian forces are suffering significant losses. In July, Ratcliffe publicly stated that the average life expectancy of a Russian serviceman on the front line was less than 35 minutes.

He also said that during his 18 months as CIA director, Russia had captured only about 1% of Ukraine's territory. Ukraine's effective use of drones significantly hindered the Russian offensive.

According to the NYT, before meeting with Bortnikov, Ratcliffe spoke with his Ukrainian counterparts and assured them that during his visit he would determine Russia's position and would not negotiate any concessions on Ukraine's behalf.

During previous contacts, Ratcliffe and Bortnikov had discussed details of prisoner exchanges, but their meeting in Moscow this week was their first face-to-face meeting.

As Ukrinform reported, according to Politico, Ratcliffe visited Moscow to warn Russian officials against escalating tensions with U.S. NATO allies, particularly Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Photo: Gabriella Demczuk/Pool

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