The newspaper noted that in the 10 days since Ratcliffe’s surprise visit to Moscow, Russia has intensified attacks using jet-powered drones and missiles against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Earlier this week, in response to reporters’ questions about the war, which has lasted four and a half years, Putin said: “I have no doubt that the enemy will crumble.”
“In Moscow, Ratcliffe warned counterparts in Russian intelligence that escalating the war would backfire,” The Post writes.
“But after the meetings, Ratcliffe felt that he had delivered the intended message ‘but not moved the needle,’ a fourth person familiar with the matter said. Russia viewed the visit as ‘an attempt to try to convince Putin to stop, but Putin read it as weakness,’ this person said.”
The Washington Post suggested that Ratcliffe’s visit did not convince Putin that the war needed to end. Instead, it may have prompted the opposite reaction.
News broke on Aug. 25 that CIA Director John
Ratcliffe had secretly traveled to Moscow. The same day, media outlets reported
that the United States had asked Ukraine to refrain from striking Moscow, St.
Petersburg, and northern Russia for the duration of the delegation's visit. The
Wall Street Journal suggested Ratcliffe may have traveled to Moscow to deliver
a warning to Putin, citing intelligence about Russian conscription preparations
and a possible Russian test of NATO's resolve.