— CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s rare visit to Moscow failed to persuade Vladimir Putin to de-escalate the war in Ukraine and may instead have reinforced the Russian president’s determination to pursue a military victory, WaPo reports.Ratcliffe warned Russian intelligence officials that Moscow’s position would deteriorate if the war continued and urged a return to negotiations. But people familiar with the discussions said Putin interpreted the outreach as a sign of weakness rather than pressure to compromise.
Following the visit, Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine, while Putin publicly signaled confidence in Moscow’s position as he remains convinced that time is on Russia’s side.
