Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said he was aware of CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Russia on 25 August and expects partners to provide the results of the talks next week.
Nausėda made the statement at a joint press conference with European Council President António Costa, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
“As for the meeting—yes, we knew. I do not want to discuss the content of the meeting because, first and foremost, it is a meeting between these two countries, and it is a matter for their discussion. Our partners have told us that information regarding this meeting—its purpose and content—will be communicated to us without delay, effectively next week,” the Lithuanian president said.
Nausėda added that, in his view, the meeting may have been devoted to easing “geopolitical tensions”.
- A US military transport aircraft, a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport on Tuesday, 25 August.
- CBS News, citing sources, reported that it was a secret visit to the Russian Federation by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
- It also emerged that the US side asked Ukraine not to strike the Russian Federation while Ratcliffe was in Moscow.
- Later, The Wall Street Journal wrote that the reason for the unexpected visit was to confirm Russia’s preparations for mobilisation.
- US intelligence reportedly gathered compelling data indicating that the Kremlin intends to announce a mass call-up. It also refers to the possibility of the Putin regime testing NATO’s resolve through a military provocation against states on the eastern flank.