Western commentators have spent endless hours “narrative-izing” about CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s secretive Aug. 25 visit to Russia. One of the most common of such “narratives,” or fact-free “spins,” came from the New York Times, which wasted endless column-inches to argue that the purpose of the trip was to inform Russian President Putin that he was actually losing the war in Ukraine, and should therefore make a deal to London’s liking.
Without referencing Ratcliffe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the press on Aug. 27: “We continue the special military operation, and the advance on the battlefield is evident. Specialists understand perfectly well what this momentum means and what consequences it will ultimately have for the Kiev regime.” He added that Western media reports about an escalation of the conflict are “the usual scare stories…. Strikes on Kiev continue systematically and purposefully. We are destroying the military and near-military infrastructure of the Kiev regime…. Regarding peace talks—yes, this issue is currently on hold. There are no new ideas.”
Peskov reiterated that Putin did not meet with Ratcliffe, who met with his Russian counterparts. Asked about possible telephone conversations between Putin and Trump, he said: “No, there are no such plans for now.”
