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CIA Director Made Rare Unannounced Visit to Russia

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday characterized CIA Director John Ratcliffe's mission to Moscow this week as "semi-routine," dismissing reports that the visit was linked to potential Russian military threats against NATO or the UK.

"None of the above," Trump told political commentator Glenn Beck when asked about rumors of Russia testing allied resolve or planning a strike on Britain.

He described Ratcliffe as a "fantastic guy" and insisted he did not travel to the Russian capital for those reasons.

"Now something may come out of it. We’re working very hard to get that war ended," Trump said of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which began in February 2022.

 
One thing about satellites. They are in fixed orbits, and both sides know exactly when they are going to be over head. If you wanted to hide movements from them, it can be done. Now I'm sure both sides have geo stationary satellites parked over strategic sites also and if you wanted to do a sudden first strike how would you do that without being detected. Simple really, keep everything routine where the satellites are looking and covertly move your first strike weapons somewhere where they are not. Spoofing times 10. That's what I would do anyway. I mean we're talking about ICBMs here and Russia is a big country. I think there are there like 17 time zones there.

Just look at Iran. They are still able to wheel out missiles from undisclosed locations and fire them. Scale that up to road mobile ICBS (which Russia has plenty of) and you'll get the jest of what I'm talking about.
 
Charmender said:
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday characterized CIA Director John Ratcliffe's mission to Moscow this week as "semi-routine," dismissing reports that the visit was linked to potential Russian military threats against NATO or the UK.

"None of the above," Trump told political commentator Glenn Beck when asked about rumors of Russia testing allied resolve or planning a strike on Britain.

He described Ratcliffe as a "fantastic guy" and insisted he did not travel to the Russian capital for those reasons.

"Now something may come out of it. We’re working very hard to get that war ended," Trump said of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which began in February 2022.

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This makes me more nervous than if he said the axis of evil is planning to test us and we're on to them. 👀
 
william said:
One thing about satellites. They are in fixed orbits, and both sides know exactly when they are going to be over head. If you wanted to hide movements from them, it can be done. Now I'm sure both sides have geo stationary satellites parked over strategic sites also and if you wanted to do a sudden first strike how would you do that without being detected. Simple really, keep everything routine where the satellites are looking and covertly move your first strike weapons somewhere where they are not. Spoofing times 10. That's what I would do anyway. I mean we're talking about ICBMs here and Russia is a big country. I think there are there like 17 time zones there.

Just look at Iran. They are still able to wheel out missiles from undisclosed locations and fire them. Scale that up to road mobile ICBS (which Russia has plenty of) and you'll get the jest of what I'm talking about.
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No. You're talking about hiding individual weapons or movements. I'm talking about hiding the strategic posture of an entire country preparing for major war. Those are not the same thing.

Sure, Russia can hide individual road mobile ICBMs, move shit between satellite passes, use deception, tunnels, camouflage, whatever.

But you cannot hide the logistics, dispersals, airbase activity, strategic force movements, naval posture, command activity, munitions movement and conventional forces that come with preparing for a major war.

➡️You can't move an entire army/nuclear arsenal into position through the underground outside of prying satellite eyes.

One hidden launcher is not a hidden war posture.

Again. Show me the broader physical pattern. Until then I'm not moving on my position.
 
DarkNoon said:
No. You're talking about hiding individual weapons or movements. I'm talking about hiding the strategic posture of an entire country preparing for major war. Those are not the same thing.

Sure, Russia can hide individual road mobile ICBMs, move shit between satellite passes, use deception, tunnels, camouflage, whatever.

But you cannot hide the logistics, dispersals, airbase activity, strategic force movements, naval posture, command activity, munitions movement and conventional forces that come with preparing for a major war.

➡️You can't move an entire army/nuclear arsenal into position through the underground outside of prying satellite eyes.

One hidden launcher is not a hidden war posture.

Again. Show me the broader physical pattern. Until then I'm not moving on my position.
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I pray you are right. (y)
 
I pray you are right. (y) Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying putin is planning to do this. I think asymmetrical attacks are much more likely. All I'm saying is I think a "bolt out the blue" or surprise decapitation first strike could be done without being detected until launch. Then of course the heat plumes would be detected and "Whoopee we're all going to die!" Or welcome to the dark age!

Personally, I think fighting with sticks and stones is better anyway, but that's just the Marine in me. :ROFLMAO:
 
DarkNoon said:
No. You're talking about hiding individual weapons or movements. I'm talking about hiding the strategic posture of an entire country preparing for major war. Those are not the same thing.

Sure, Russia can hide individual road mobile ICBMs, move shit between satellite passes, use deception, tunnels, camouflage, whatever.

But you cannot hide the logistics, dispersals, airbase activity, strategic force movements, naval posture, command activity, munitions movement and conventional forces that come with preparing for a major war.

➡️You can't move an entire army/nuclear arsenal into position through the underground outside of prying satellite eyes.

One hidden launcher is not a hidden war posture.

Again. Show me the broader physical pattern. Until then I'm not moving on my position.
Click to expand...
This is all very correct AND, it would be preceeded with a lot of signalling actions even before actually starting up the logistics, to let's say, prepare a military action against someone.

The situation is not different than the one we had during the last months.

The visit of the CIA director adds nothing, or well (as opposite to the mass media's hype) actually relieves me as it demostrates that the diplomacy is still alive, that the US is still (and will continue to be) engaged in this whole story.

All of this, by assuming that Ukraine was the real focus of these talks, which is possible but not ovbious.
 
Oh, and it's not just russia that could do a "bolt out the blue" first strike. We could to and that's what makes THEM nervous. US policy has always been offence not defense. Don't think for a second there aren't plans in the bowls of the pentagon to do just that.
 
I think it’s also important to note, prior to 2021 it was relatively common for the cia director to go to Moscow. Could be an attempt by the Trump administration to try to normalize these ties again, doesn’t explain the sudden nature but still a thought.
 
Charmender said:
This is all very correct AND, it would be preceeded with a lot of signalling actions even before actually starting up the logistics, to let's say, prepare a military action against someone. Don't you think they know they are being monitored and would do covert action to counter that? I certainly would. That's military strategy 101. I'm not saying it would be an easy thing to do but it could be done. IMO Just look at military history going all the way back to WWII and the allied deception before D-Day, the left hook in the first gulf war or the latest B2 strike on Iran.

The situation is not different than the one we had during the last months.

The visit of the CIA director adds nothing, or well (as opposite to the mass media's hype) actually relieves me as it demostrates that the diplomacy is still alive, that the US is still (and will continue to be) engaged in this whole story.

All of this, by assuming that Ukraine was the real focus of these talks, which is possible but not ovbious.
Click to expand...
 
I assume everyone has seen this article from Bloomberg? Some concerning stuff in here. (sharing another link because I can’t access the full article on Bloomberg, not paying for it).

“People close to the Kremlin also said a growing number of Russian officials have begun coming to the conclusion that "Putin could eventually opt to use tactical nuclear weapons as a last resort in Ukraine".

"The volume of chatter in Moscow from hawks advocating such a step has increased recently. An extreme response is viewed as possible because the only outcome worse than continuing the war for Putin would be losing it," Bloomberg reports

 
DrMantisToboggan said:
I assume everyone has seen this article from Bloomberg? Some concerning stuff in here. (sharing another link because I can’t access the full article on Bloomberg, not paying for it).

“People close to the Kremlin also said a growing number of Russian officials have begun coming to the conclusion that "Putin could eventually opt to use tactical nuclear weapons as a last resort in Ukraine".

"The volume of chatter in Moscow from hawks advocating such a step has increased recently. An extreme response is viewed as possible because the only outcome worse than continuing the war for Putin would be losing it," Bloomberg reports

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It’s really nothing new.
All this nuclear fear porn makes no sense.
The situation is by no means similar to the one during the end of year 2022
 
DrMantisToboggan said:
I assume everyone has seen this article from Bloomberg? Some concerning stuff in here. (sharing another link because I can’t access the full article on Bloomberg, not paying for it).

“People close to the Kremlin also said a growing number of Russian officials have begun coming to the conclusion that "Putin could eventually opt to use tactical nuclear weapons as a last resort in Ukraine".

"The volume of chatter in Moscow from hawks advocating such a step has increased recently. An extreme response is viewed as possible because the only outcome worse than continuing the war for Putin would be losing it," Bloomberg reports

Click to expand...
Yeah it also says in the original there are no signs the kremlin is heading towards that decision. We have zero idea who these supposed Kremlin insiders are, or how much they really know.
 
DrMantisToboggan said:
I assume everyone has seen this article from Bloomberg? Some concerning stuff in here. (sharing another link because I can’t access the full article on Bloomberg, not paying for it).

“People close to the Kremlin also said a growing number of Russian officials have begun coming to the conclusion that "Putin could eventually opt to use tactical nuclear weapons as a last resort in Ukraine".

"The volume of chatter in Moscow from hawks advocating such a step has increased recently. An extreme response is viewed as possible because the only outcome worse than continuing the war for Putin would be losing it," Bloomberg reports

Click to expand...
Maybe, a deal, USA. may use a light tactical nuke on Iran, deal made Russia drops on Ukraine,
russia doesnt make a stink, USA doesnt make a stink?????
Sound amicable?
 
Lostpuppy said:
Maybe, a deal, USA. may use a light tactical nuke on Iran, deal made Russia drops on Ukraine,
russia doesnt make a stink, USA doesnt make a stink?????
Sound amicable?
Click to expand...
DEFCON Warning System said:
I can't see that happening.
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Agreed it would be very destabilizing.
It could put the other nuclear powers in a very uncomfortable position, with the EU being in the middle of it all. They have nukes by way of France and perhaps the UK. China wouldn't support it either and they are effectively propping up Russia economically. It also lowers the nuclear use threshold for other conflicts between nuclear and non nuclear states.
 
I am very skeptical of this. I was deeply involved in dealing with and responding to the risk of Russian nuclear use in 2022. In that case we had specific intelligence that gave us cause for concern for approximately 5 months. If US officials have similar information now that would be one thing but otherwise don’t get alarmed by rhetoric or speculation.


https://twitter.com/x/status/2092718889197006961
 
alphaecho said:
I am very skeptical of this. I was deeply involved in dealing with and responding to the risk of Russian nuclear use in 2022. In that case we had specific intelligence that gave us cause for concern for approximately 5 months. If US officials have similar information now that would be one thing but otherwise don’t get alarmed by rhetoric or speculation.


https://twitter.com/x/status/2092718889197006961
Click to expand...
Of course and infact, Tom is one of the (civilian) voices who really have real clues about what is happening.
As i said, this is literally nothing compared to 2022, there's no intel...and "trust me", back in late 2022 there were disturbing reports being made "available" to stakeholders for months.

This is nothing new, the media needs to create a topic as regarding the Iranian one there's nothing much more to say and the public interest is fading, Ukraine is always a hot theme.

And as I said many times, russians know this, and are using the western media to deliver (successfully) their psyops.

I will also repeat another tip, if you hear something coming from russian officials remember that there's 2 distinct classes:
-Influence/Psyops/Fearmongering: Medvedev, Zakharova, Simonyan, Tolstoy...
-To be paid attention: Putin, Peskov, Naryshkin, Lavrov (**), Gerasimov...

(**) and even amoung the 2nd class, with the russians the wording is essential, and many times the interpretation given to the source russian words, is voluntarily or not distorted.

Too many people still (voluntarily or not and for different purposes) consider russians, crazy, dumb, failing to understand that Russia has always relied on a 2 faces diplomatic structure to keep the decision makers at the exact middle of the thermometer.
 
Charmender said:
Of course and infact, Tom is one of the (civilian) voices who really have real clues about what is happening.
As i said, this is literally nothing compared to 2022, there's no intel...and "trust me", back in late 2022 there were disturbing reports being made "available" to stakeholders for months.

This is nothing new, the media needs to create a topic as regarding the Iranian one there's nothing much more to say and the public interest is fading, Ukraine is always a hot theme.

And as I said many times, russians know this, and are using the western media to deliver (successfully) their psyops.

I will also repeat another tip, if you hear something coming from russian officials remember that there's 2 distinct classes:
-Influence/Psyops/Fearmongering: Medvedev, Zakharova, Simonyan, Tolstoy...
-To be paid attention: Putin, Peskov, Naryshkin, Lavrov (**), Gerasimov...

(**) and even amoung the 2nd class, with the russians the wording is essential, and many times the interpretation given to the source russian words, is voluntarily or not distorted.

Too many people still (voluntarily or not and for different purposes) consider russians, crazy, dumb, failing to understand that Russia has always relied on a 2 faces diplomatic structure to keep the decision makers at the exact middle of the thermometer.
Click to expand...
Incidentally, I feel like here’s a good example of what you are saying regarding Russian officials: now granted Peskov could be lying, but I have a tendency to believe him over anything Medvedev, Zakharova, or Simonyan says.
 

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