Russian spy chief holds phone conversation with CIA boss

Sergey Naryshkin and John Ratcliffe have agreed to maintain regular contact to reduce tensions between the US and Russia

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin, spoke on the phone with his CIA counterpart John Ratcliffe, and they have agreed to maintain regular contact.

During the conversation, which took place on Tuesday, the heads of the two agencies agreed to maintain a dialogue in order to “promote international stability and security, as well as to reduce tensions in relations between Moscow and Washington,” the SVR director said in a statement on Wednesday.

Naryshkin and Ratcliffe also discussed cooperation between the two agencies “on areas of mutual interest and the resolution of crisis situations.”

The Russian intelligence chief has repeatedly signaled his readiness to maintain contact with the CIA in recent years despite strained relations between Moscow and Washington. In January, just two days after Ratcliffe’s appointment as CIA director was confirmed by the US Senate, Naryshkin said he was ready to meet with his US counterpart.

In 2023, the head of the SVR spoke with then-CIA Director William Burns. The two discussed the Ukraine conflict and the mutiny launched by the late founder of the Wagner private military company, Evgeny Prigozhin, which took place that summer. In May 2024, Naryshkin said further contact with Burns “cannot be ruled out.”

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Trump teases talks with Putin

The news comes as both Moscow and Washington have resumed dialogue, which largely ceased under Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, and intensified efforts to settle the Ukraine conflict.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he would likely to schedule a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week to negotiate a proposed 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine.

Trump made the remarks after Ukrainian and American delegations met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Kiev agreed to Washington’s proposal for a ceasefire with Moscow.

The presidents’ call would be their second in just a month. In an effort to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, Trump had a 90-minute phone conversation with Putin on February 12. Both leaders agreed to start negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

The Kremlin has yet to respond officially, but Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow-Washington contacts could not be ruled out. Kremlin pool reporter Dmitry Smirnov has suggested a presidential call could happen on Friday.