CIA director John Ratcliffe proposed Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit during Moscow visit

During a covert trip to Moscow on August 25, 2026, CIA Director John Ratcliffe proposed a trilateral summit between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to revive stalled peace talks. While Zelenskyy welcomed the diplomatic push, Ukrainian officials remain highly skeptical, warning that Putin has ordered plans for a major offensive targeting Kyiv and Chernihiv. Putin has historically rejected such trilateral proposals, and active combat operations continue without a ceasefire.

Ratcliffe Moscow trilateral summit proposal

• ▪CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with SVR foreign intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin and FSB director Alexander Bortnikov during his covert trip to Moscow on August 25, 2026.
• ▪CIA Director John Ratcliffe proposed a trilateral meeting between President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a covert trip to Moscow on August 25, 2026.
• ▪U.S. officials briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on August 28, 2026, regarding CIA Director John Ratcliffe's talks in Moscow and the proposal for a trilateral summit.
• ▪President Donald Trump described CIA Director John Ratcliffe's trip to Moscow as standard business and not intended to warn Russia against attacking NATO territory.

Stalled US-mediated peace negotiations

• ▪U.S.-mediated negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were paused in mid-February 2026 after the war with Iran started.
• ▪Ukrainian Chief of Staff Kyrylo Budanov stated on August 27, 2026, that U.S.-mediated talks with Russia could resume in September 2026.
• ▪White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have held separate, low-progress talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators over the past few months.

Ukrainian escalation warnings

• ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's deputy chief of staff, Pavlo Palisa, stated on August 28, 2026, that Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian military to prepare operational scenarios for an offensive in northern Ukraine, targeting Kyiv and Chernihiv.
• ▪Ukrainian officials remain highly skeptical of Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions, citing intelligence that suggests Russia is planning a major escalation of the war.

Russian intelligence diplomatic role

• ▪CIA Director John Ratcliffe concluded that FSB director Alexander Bortnikov is a constructive player who could help restart diplomatic efforts.
• ▪CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow was partly aimed at determining whether Russia's intelligence heads could help convince Vladimir Putin to resume U.S.-mediated negotiations.
• ▪CIA Director John Ratcliffe gave FSB director Alexander Bortnikov a bleak assessment of the war and urged Russia to cut a deal before its situation worsens, according to a New York Times report.

Putin rejection of summit

• ▪Active combat operations continue in Ukraine with no current indication of a ceasefire being accepted by Moscow on existing terms, despite the diplomatic proposal.
• ▪Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously rejected proposals for a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and the United States, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has supported the idea.

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