Trump considering giving CIA chief Ratcliffe greater role in Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, FT reports
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U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering giving CIA Director John Ratcliffe a larger diplomatic role in attempting to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Sept. 9, citing sources familiar with the plan.
U.S. officials have reportedly told their European counterparts about the proposed diplomatic shift, with Trump considering downsizing current special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner's role in negotiations.
The White House has denied FT's reporting calling it "totally fake news," while officials familiar with the plans indicated that Trump has yet to make a final decision on the matter. According to FT, Witkoff is likely to retain his role as U.S. envoy for peace missions and may work alongside Ratcliffe on the Russia-Ukraine file.
The latest reported plan comes weeks after Ratcliffe made unannounced trip to Moscow on Aug. 25 to meet with his Russian counterpart. The visit marked his first known official trip to the Russian capital.
Trump described Ratcliffe’s Aug. 25 visit as "standard business" and dismissed reports that the CIA director had traveled to Moscow to deliver a warning to Russia around further escalation in the Baltics.
The potential diplomatic shift comes days after Witkoff and Kushner returned home from their visits to Kyiv and Moscow for talks with the countries leaders. The most recent talks do not appear to have yielded a major breakthrough, with President Volodymyr Zelensky telling reporters after the meeting that he expects "the war will continue" into the winter months.
The U.S. and Russia have seen intensified bilateral contacts since Trump took office last January and pledged to negotiate a peace settlement in Ukraine.
Despite repeated visits by Trump's peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Moscow, the negotiations have effectively stalled as both Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on territorial issues.
The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected a ceasefire and demanded that Kyiv cede the partially occupied and strategically vital Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine has instead called for a ceasefire along the current front lines while stressing the need for Western-backed security guarantees to deter future potential Russian aggression.
