Sergey Naryshkin and John Ratcliffe have agreed to maintain regular contact to reduce tensions between the US and Russia
The director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergey Naryshkin, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe have spoken by phone and agreed to stay in regular communication.
During their conversation on Tuesday, the heads of the two intelligence agencies agreed to maintain a dialogue to “promote international stability and security, as well as to reduce tensions in relations between Moscow and Washington,” according to a statement released by the SVR director on Wednesday.
Naryshkin and Ratcliffe also discussed potential cooperation between their agencies “on areas of mutual interest and the resolution of crisis situations.”
Despite strained relations between Moscow and Washington, the Russian intelligence chief has consistently expressed his willingness to maintain contact with the CIA in recent years. In January, just two days after Ratcliffe’s confirmation as CIA director by the US Senate, Naryshkin stated his readiness to meet with his American counterpart.
In 2023, Naryshkin spoke with then-CIA Director William Burns, discussing the Ukraine conflict and the Wagner Group mutiny led by Evgeny Prigozhin that summer. In May 2024, Naryshkin indicated that further contact with Burns “cannot be ruled out.”
This news emerges as Moscow and Washington have resumed dialogue, which had largely ceased under Joe Biden, Trump’s predecessor. Efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict have also intensified.
US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that he would likely schedule a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week to discuss a proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
Trump’s comments followed a meeting between Ukrainian and American delegations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Kiev agreed to Washington’s proposed ceasefire with Moscow.
The presidents’ call would be their second in a month. On February 12, Trump had a 90-minute phone conversation with Putin, aiming to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. Both leaders agreed to begin negotiations to end the conflict.
While the Kremlin has yet to issue an official response, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow-Washington contacts remain a possibility. Kremlin pool reporter Dmitry Smirnov suggested a presidential call could occur on Friday.
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