WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s surprise visit to Moscow for meetings on Aug. 25.

The president, however, dismissed all rumors about the purpose of Ratcliffe’s trip, denying that he was sent to warn the Kremlin against testing NATO’s resolve, striking England, or disregarding Iranian sanctions.

Speaking to radio host Glenn Beck, Trump said, “Well, none of the above. He’s there, you know, on very sort of semi-routine—I hate to disappoint people.”

“We would like to see the war with Ukraine end. That’s a war [that] would have never started, Glenn, if I were president,” he added.

“John Ratcliffe is a fantastic guy. He’s the head of the CIA, and he is not in there for any of the things that you said. Now, something may come out, you know, out of it. We’re working very hard to get that war ended, and frankly, they both want to see it ended at this point.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said on Aug. 26 that Ratcliffe held talks with his counterparts but did not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit.

“Of course, President Putin is immediately informed of everything,” Peskov said, declining to explain the purpose of the visit.

Russian media outlets on Aug. 25 stated they spotted the U.S. Air Force aircraft at Vnukovo Airport and a motorcade of cars with U.S. diplomatic license plates early in the day.

CBS later reported that Ratcliffe had made a secret visit to Moscow, citing sources familiar with the situation.

The CIA neither confirmed nor denied an unannounced trip to Moscow by Ratcliffe.

The apparent visit follows increased U.S. economic pressure against Iran.

On Aug. 24, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the administration’s sweeping campaign to isolate Iran’s economy, calling it “Operation Economic Outcast.”

He issued a stark warning to countries that provide Tehran with an economic lifeline, including China and Russia.

The CIA previously brokered high-profile prisoner swaps, involving Evan Gershkovich in 2024 and Ksenia Karelina in 2025.

Ratcliffe’s visit comes amid the Kremlin’s recent provocative actions targeting NATO countries.

Historically, high-level surprise visits have served as a critical back channel to deliver direct warnings to Russia, as seen with a secret trip to Moscow made in November 2021 by then-Director William Burns, just a few months before Russia invaded Ukraine.

Russia has denied that it was planning any assault or provocation against any NATO members, calling the allegations “fearmongering.”

A U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III with registered tail number 07-7181 made a round trip from Riga, Latvia, to Moscow and back on Aug. 25, according to flight tracking data from Flightradar24.