Don't play games in the Baltics: The message CIA director's visit sends to Moscow
The CIA director chose to fly to Russia in a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster in order to send a message not to threaten Poland or the Baltic nations, a former military attaché to Moscow has told the BFBS Forces News Sitrep podcast.
John Foreman also described previous visits to Moscow by senior Western officials, including former defence secretary Ben Wallace, and the symbolism of the aircraft used to transport them across the continent.
Mr Foreman and one of the podcast's hosts, Professor Michael Clarke, delved into the potential reasons why John Ratcliffe might have gone to the Russian capital – from discussing Ukraine to warning Russia to back off from attacking Eastern Europe.
The reasons for the trip
Prof Clarke said Mr Ratcliffe's visit was likely to give Russia a warning not to threaten Nato allies on its border.
"The trend of opinion is… that it may well have been about Russian intentions this autumn in northern Europe," he explained. "In other words, don't play games in the Baltics and Poland because we know you’re doing it. And we've briefed the Poles on this."
A week ago, several Nato aircraft including Typhoons, P-8 Poseidons and KC-135s massed in Polish airspace over a period of several days for a previously unannounced US-led exercise.
Prof Clarke suggested that this build-up of allied forces was to signal to Russia not to play games in Poland after the Russian elections next month.
During the visit, Mr Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials, such as Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia's overseas spy agency, the Foreign Intelligence Service.
The CIA director's trip also followed several incidents in Europe, including two reported drone attacks at Leipzig and Hanover airports in Germany.
Mr Foreman said there could be many different explanations for the visit: Iran, hostages or Ukraine.
"There's a lot of speculation about could they negotiate some form of reduction, escalation to avoid cities being targeted or ranges, perhaps something there, ahead of the winter," Mr Foreman said.
"I think it's [an] opportunity for Mr Ratcliffe to go and say directly to the Russians that's not true: we stand committed to Article 5 and all the North Atlantic Treaty," Mr Foreman added.
"That's why we're doing these exercises and don't do anything daft."
The message that the C-17 Globemaster can deliver
The choice of aircraft is significant.
Mr Foreman shared an anecdote about how the UK chose a Voyager - the biggest aircraft it could - to fly Mr Wallace and Admiral (Ret') Sir Tony Radakin, the ex-Chief of the Defence Staff, on a visit to Russia in 2022.
He was working as the UK military defence attaché to Moscow at the time of the pair's visit.
He said: "When we got to the airport, this thing, this Voyager, trundles up with a big Union Jack on the back. And the Russian general said he's never seen such a big aircraft from a foreign delegation. So, it's to set the image."
Prof Clarke suggested the Globemaster, which has a 52m wingspan, was used by the USAF as it can hold a capsule for the CIA director to work in while he was travelling.
"The first question was, why such a big aircraft for one person?" Prof Clarke said. "The answer seems to be this roll-on, roll-off conference capsule, [from where] the CIA director can run the whole CIA operation from a capsule inside the aircraft, which you just put onto it.
"[It] is hardened against espionage or scanning or any hacking or anything."
You can listen to BFBS' Sitrep wherever you get your podcasts, or on BFBS Forces News YouTube channel.
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