Russia sharply intensified strikes on Ukraine after CIA director’s secret visit to Moscow: reasons

Russia has sharply increased its missile and drone strikes on Ukraine following a secret visit to Moscow by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The Kremlin, according to journalists, took Washington’s signal of the need to de-escalate as a sign of Western weakness.

This is reported by The Washington Post .

Ratcliffe met with FSB head Alexander Bortnikov to convey to the Russian leadership the US position that prolonging the war would worsen Moscow’s position in future negotiations.

“The message was: things aren’t going very well for you. It’s time to talk. Let’s figure this out, because in 6 months, a year you’ll be even worse off,” the source said.

However, Moscow took this signal not as a proposal to end the war, but as evidence that the US was not ready to increase pressure on Russia. After that, Ukrainian cities, the energy system, water supply facilities, and food warehouses came under Russian attacks.

According to the publication, Putin has not changed his position on the war and rejects a cessation of hostilities along the current front line. Moscow’s main requirement for continuing negotiations remains the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the territory of Donbas.

The Kremlin is also counting on Ukraine’s resource depletion. In particular, winter strikes on infrastructure are intended, according to the Russian side, to increase pressure on Kyiv and force it to agree to Moscow’s conditions.

Political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko said that a new escalation of the war is possible after September 20. Among the possible scenarios, he named selective mobilization in Russia.

“I don’t think it will be a general mobilization. Russia is not ready for this now, for full mobilization, for various reasons – organizationally, resource-wise,” Fesenko said.

Earlier it was reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, August 25, where he is scheduled to hold talks with Russian officials. Before his trip, the United States warned Ukraine about the delegation’s visit and asked it to temporarily refrain from strikes.

By the way, during a visit to Moscow, CIA Director John Ratcliffe suggested that the Kremlin arrange a meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The day before, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin had already been briefed on the results of CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow . However, he did not meet with Putin personally.

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