Ralph Goff, a 35-year CIA veteran and six-time station chief, says John Ratcliffe’s Aug. 25 trip to Moscow may have been less about warning Russia off NATO than about finding a new channel for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Goff, who served six tours as a CIA station chief and as chief of operations for Europe and Eurasia before retiring in 2023, explains why CIA directors have historically served as quiet diplomatic intermediaries and why the Trump administration may have wanted a new face after limited progress by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Goff also says he has personally seen Ukraine’s domestically produced ballistic missiles in production, warns that Russia will close the innovation gap and breaks with most Ukrainians in arguing for elections — even before a cease-fire.
