Chiefs of CIA and Russian foreign intelligence hold phone call

John Ratcliffe, Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, and Sergei Naryshkin, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, held a telephone conversation on 11 March.

According to Russian newspaper Kommersant and the press service for Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Ratcliffe and Naryshkin reportedly agreed to maintain contact in order to promote "international stability and security" and alleviate tensions between Moscow and Washington.

The discussion centred on collaboration between the two intelligence services in areas of mutual interest, as well as crisis resolution measures.

The last phone discussion between Naryshkin and a CIA chief occurred in the summer of 2023.

In autumn 2022, Naryshkin met with his American counterpart in Türkiye at a time when the CIA was led by William Burns.

The US Senate approved Ratcliffe's nomination as Director of the CIA in late January.