The secretive trip has raised questions across Europe, but Lithuania says it was not caught off guard and expects more details soon.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said that Vilnius had known in advance about the visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow.

Yes, we knew.

– Gitanas Nausėda

The Lithuanian leader made the statement during a press conference with European Council President António Costa. At the same time, Nausėda declined to disclose the contents of the talks, emphasizing that this was primarily a matter for the participants in the meeting.

I would not want to discuss the contents of the meeting, as this is primarily a matter for negotiations and discussions between the parties involved.

– Gitanas Nausėda

According to the Lithuanian president, the partners informed his country that details of the meeting, including its objectives and content, would be provided shortly – most likely as early as next week.

Nausėda Links the Visit to Regional Tensions

Gitanas Nausėda suggested that John Ratcliffe’s trip to Moscow may have been aimed at reducing geopolitical tensions in the region. He said that this possibility made him optimistic.

I can only assume that this meeting is indeed aimed at reducing geopolitical tensions in our region, and that makes me optimistic.

– Gitanas Nausėda

António Costa declined to comment on the visit to reporters. He explained that it involved a visit by a U.S. agency to a third country, so the European Council could not assess it.

I probably could not comment on this visit. It is a visit by a United States agency to a third country, so we cannot comment on it.

– António Costa

What Is Known About the CIA Director’s Trip to Moscow

CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow on Tuesday on an unannounced trip. He became one of the few senior U.S. officials to visit Russia since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022.

The CIA and the White House did not disclose the purpose of the trip. The Kremlin said the following day that, during his stay in Moscow, the head of U.S. intelligence “had contacts” with Russian security services.

The last time a CIA director visited Moscow was in November 2021. At the time, the position was held by William Burns, who warned Russia against sending troops into Ukraine. Several months later, the Kremlin launched its invasion, which grew into the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.