CIA director John Ratcliffe

What forced the allies to issue an unexpected demand to Kyiv?

Washington asked Kyiv to refrain from carrying out strikes on Moscow, an informed source told RBC-Ukraine.

According to the source, the United States asked Ukraine not to attack Moscow these next days because a delegation of senior US officials would be in the Russian capital.

Earlier today, CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow. A US aircraft landed at Vnukovo Airport, after which a convoy of vehicles with US diplomatic license plates was seen traveling through the Russian capital.

According to Flightradar24, the aircraft arrived from Riga. The purpose of the US delegation’s visit and the identities of those on board remain unknown.

The Kremlin said it had no information about the arrival of the US aircraft. Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, also said that no meetings with White House officials had been scheduled.

Flight-tracking data later confirmed that the aircraft was a US Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. Its registration number was identified as RCH4555.

The aircraft that arrived in Moscow had flown to Riga on August 23 from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland — the base used by aircraft carrying US President Donald Trump and other senior officials.

US asked Ukraine to avoid striking Moscow over the coming days: Source reveals reason

Trump seeking political asylum in Russia ?

Hey you take your risk if you visit Moscow these days, the members of that delegation are not particularly important folks anyway. They can be sacrificed for the greater good, no issues there.

It would have been a reasonable thing to ask Ukraine to stop inflicting damage upon Russia if Russia stopped slaughtering women and children in Ukraine. But since Trump is Putin's lap dog and butt kisser, why would America do that?

Translation: My Boss Vlad needs more time finding a catering truck to hide in 😆

Trump really doesn't care if Ukrainian nor Russian civilians are killed, nor members of their Armed Forces, but for some reason he would find it a problem if members of his delegation are killed. Try to figure that one out. An argument could be made that they are the most expendable of all people.

The consensus so far is that this unusual visit was not about the Russia - Ukraine war but was actually about the Russia - NATO war.

Russia recently attacked a target within Germany. This isn't really surprising. Genocidal war criminal dictator Putin wants to test the resolve of NATO. We don't know how the meeting went.

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

The consensus so far is that this unusual visit was not about the Russia - Ukraine war but was actually about the Russia - NATO war.

Russia recently attacked a target within Germany. This isn't really surprising. Genocidal war criminal dictator Putin wants to test the resolve of NATO. We don't know how the meeting went.

It's totally reasonable for Russia to attack NATO forces.

NATO have started a war with Russia.

And it's not as if it's the first time the Germans have tried this!

Just now, BritManToo said:

It's totally reasonable for Russia to attack NATO forces.

NATO have started a war with Russia.

And it's not as if it's the first time the Germans have tried this!

Russian can't handle Ukraine, can Russia handle NATO?

Just now, TedG said:

Russian can't handle Ukraine, can Russia handle NATO?

You didn't get it.

Putin is testing NATO and trying to reveal they're a paper tiger.

He doesn't want a full blown war with NATO.

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

It's totally reasonable for Russia to attack NATO forces.

NATO have started a war with Russia.

And it's not as if it's the first time the Germans have tried this!

Total garbage.

Putin started this war.

1 minute ago, TedG said:

Russian can't handle Ukraine, can Russia handle NATO?

Ukraine is financed by NATO, they're already spending all their money on the war.

Adding in a few more countries just gives Russia more (undefended) targets.

https://news.by/eng/news/v_mire/industrial-shift-to-military-rails-echoes-1930s-arms-race-analyst-warns

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by BritManToo

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Total garbage.

Putin started this war.

NATO started the war by hinting the countries bordering Russia could join.

Russia is merely trying to enforce the NATO/USSR agreement to not move closer.

"Both in Britain, and in France, and in Germany, and in Italy, and in other leading European countries there are serious economic problems, because if a significant part of the budget is given every year to a war that is being waged by other people’s hands in Ukraine"

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by BritManToo

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

NATO started the war by hinting the countries bordering Russia could join.

Russia is merely trying to enforce the NATO/USSR agreement to not move closer.

There was no such agreement.

You're another westerner infected with Kremlin propaganda.

That's bad enough but you're actively trying to infect others.

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

There was no such agreement.

You're another westerner infected with Kremlin propaganda.

That's bad enough but you're actively trying to infect others.

I'm just jealous that Russia is more free than the UK.

If only I could be American!

Broken Promises Narrative

https://atlasinstitute.org/russias-accusation-of-u-s-nato-expansionism-from-1989-to-2025-the-broken-promises-narrative-today/

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by BritManToo

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I'm just jealous that Russia is more free than the UK.

If only I could be American!

Broken Promises Narrative

https://atlasinstitute.org/russias-accusation-of-u-s-nato-expansionism-from-1989-to-2025-the-broken-promises-narrative-today/

Russia has a special visa for deluded westerners such as yourself.

Please go!

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Russia has a special visa for deluded westerners such as yourself.

Please go!

Too cold for me.

But if I had been a bit younger, I would have loved to have gone.

Surprised you haven't left for Israel.

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Too cold for me.

But if I had been a bit younger, I would have loved to have gone.

Surprised you haven't left for Israel.

Crimea is very nice I hear.

If you know your way around a horse.

The long range hits continue from both sides. Kiev had international delegates there in the last few days and Russia stopped the hits on Kiev momentarily. At the same time Ukraine launched strikes deep into Russian territory. Meanwhile on the eastern front, in the NE and in the N things continue to to degrade for Ukraine.

2 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

Trump seeking political asylum in Russia ?

We can only hope.

53 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

NATO started the war by hinting the countries bordering Russia could join.

Russia is merely trying to enforce the NATO/USSR agreement to not move closer.

"Both in Britain, and in France, and in Germany, and in Italy, and in other leading European countries there are serious economic problems, because if a significant part of the budget is given every year to a war that is being waged by other people’s hands in Ukraine"

Hinting is not war.

Invading and discharging weapons to kill folk and destroy infrastructure is war.

Putin started this war.

What? Moscow has no catering trucks?

As for Ratcliffe, the guy who asked SIS staff in the agency these questions, and fired them if they answered "inappropriately".

-Who won the 2020 election?

-Whom did you vote for in 2020 and 2024?

-What is your opinion of 6 January 2021?

No harm done if he is "regrettable collateral damage", like those poor 168 elementary schoolgirls in Minab, Iran.

-

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by Wingate

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Crimea is very nice I hear.

If you know your way around a horse.

I love horses.

Too old to ride them anymore.

6 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Ukraine is financed by NATO, they're already spending all their money on the war.

Adding in a few more countries just gives Russia more (undefended) targets.

https://news.by/eng/news/v_mire/industrial-shift-to-military-rails-echoes-1930s-arms-race-analyst-warns

6 hours ago, BritManToo said:

NATO started the war by hinting the countries bordering Russia could join.

Russia is merely trying to enforce the NATO/USSR agreement to not move closer.

"Both in Britain, and in France, and in Germany, and in Italy, and in other leading European countries there are serious economic problems, because if a significant part of the budget is given every year to a war that is being waged by other people’s hands in Ukraine"

Says a Belarussian source!

Congratulations! You are probably the first one to post a Belarussian link! 🤣

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I love horses.

Too old to ride them anymore.

Then Crimea is not for you. No gas.

6 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I'm just jealous that Russia is more free than the UK.

If only I could be American!

Broken Promises Narrative

https://atlasinstitute.org/russias-accusation-of-u-s-nato-expansionism-from-1989-to-2025-the-broken-promises-narrative-today/

Lol! You have not read it!

The article doesn't support the Russian narrative! 🤣🤣🤣

For example (in first;section):

"Moscow has since argued that the West pledged NATO would not move eastward. However, archival research by Sarotte (2009; 2014; 2021) demonstrates that no formal or legally binding agreement on halting NATO expansion was ever concluded."

1 minute ago, candide said:

Lol! You have not read it!

The article doesn't support the Russian narrative! 🤣🤣🤣

For example (in first;section):

"Moscow has since argued that the West pledged NATO would not move eastward. However, archival research by Sarotte (2009; 2014; 2021) demonstrates that no formal or legally binding agreement on halting NATO expansion was ever concluded."

He said, she said .........

I tend to believe Russia over NATO.

NATO is part of the New World Order!

Putin has done an amazing job in Russia, sanctions has stopped the globalist distribution system. Now Russia has all the same products we have, but all manufactured in Russia, and with Russian labels.

But cheaper prices. This is how the rest of the world needs to work.

Just imagine all food sold in the UK being sourced and manufactured in the UK!

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by BritManToo

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

He said, she said .........

I tend to believe Russia over NATO.

NATO is part of the New World Order!

Putin has done an amazing job in Russia, sanctions has stopped the globalist distribution system. Now Russia has all the same products we have, but all manufactured in Russia, and with Russian labels.

But cheaper prices. This is how the rest of the world needs to work.

Just imagine all food sold in the UK being sourced and manufactured in the UK!

The source you linked contradicts your main claim, and now you are deflecting with more nonsense! 😃

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by candide

8 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Trump really doesn't care if Ukrainian nor Russian civilians are killed, nor members of their Armed Forces, but for some reason he would find it a problem if members of his delegation are killed. Try to figure that one out. An argument could be made that they are the most expendable of all people.

If it was a problem for Donald Spidermike, Wht was he was prepared to Sacrifice some of his top aids when he changed Planes in Turkey ? he didn't even tell them there's a potential plot to bring down Air Force One.

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

The consensus so far is that this unusual visit was not about the Russia - Ukraine war but was actually about the Russia - NATO war.

Russia recently attacked a target within Germany. This isn't really surprising. Genocidal war criminal dictator Putin wants to test the resolve of NATO. We don't know how the meeting went.

Ukrainian sources indicate its related to Moscow's intention, following the September State Duma elections, to undertake a "peripheral mobilisation" of 300,000 men, meaning, mobilising anywhere but Moscow and St Petersburg (for obvious reasons, even dictators can be scared of the mob at times).

To put that in perspective, in 2026, 261,000 Russians were conscripted. A Russian law (created by Putin after the cataclysmic first Chechen War) prevents conscripts from being sent to the frontline. Hence, Ukrainian troops were able to easily roll over poorly trained conscripts in Kursk. During the same period, Russia attempted to get 460,000 new contractors; these are the Russian soldiers who are on the front line. Supposedly these are Russians who have freely signed contracts to become professional members of the armed forces (many may have been coerced or tricked). Russia was unable to achieve that target, according to the Ukrainians, achieving less than half of that.

Russia is scraping the barrel for men with prior experience who are not in so-called protected occupations. An extra 300,000 need training, equipping, feeding, paying. Moscow might skimp on maybe 2 out of 4 of those things. If Ukraine can further stress that, then they would be hoping for a repeat of 1917, when a Russian Army decided it had enough of fighting the Kaiser. So continue to target logistics, training depots, financial tools.

Ratcliffe, in relative terms, is the most pro-Euro member of the US cabinet. In December 2021, he was one of several figures warning about Russian plans to invade Ukraine.

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

He said, she said .........

I tend to believe Russia over NATO.

NATO is part of the New World Order!

Putin has done an amazing job in Russia, sanctions has stopped the globalist distribution system. Now Russia has all the same products we have, but all manufactured in Russia, and with Russian labels.

But cheaper prices. This is how the rest of the world needs to work.

Just imagine all food sold in the UK being sourced and manufactured in the UK!

Life's wonderful in Russia. That's why every East European nation joined the EU as fast as possible.

Main Structural Differences

• Purchasing Power and Wages: Although Russia's GDP per capita by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) matches some of the less wealthy European NATO members (like Croatia or Romania), its real nominal wages are substantially lower. The average Russian family lives with an income that covers only a tight fraction of household expenses, with cars and electronics remaining disproportionately expensive.

• The "Two Russias" Divide: There is a extreme economic divide between major urban hubs and the rest of the nation. Living standards in Moscow are highly modern, featuring cheap digital services, strong transport networks, and well-funded public facilities. In contrast, large portions of rural Russia suffer from basic infrastructure deficits—such as lacking indoor plumbing or reliable road networks—a disparity that is much less severe in Western or Central NATO nations.

• Healthcare and Longevity: Despite an educated populace, Russia significantly lags behind NATO nations in life expectancy. The average life expectancy in Russia is roughly 73.4 years, which is 6 to 9 years shorter than the averages seen in Western Europe and North America. High alcohol consumption rates, high rates of cardiovascular disease, and uneven regional healthcare quality drive this gap.

• Macroeconomic Pressures: Due to ongoing economic sanctions and a heavy national pivot toward defense spending, the Russian economy faces domestic volatility. The Russian Central Bank has forecast near-zero GDP growth alongside high domestic interest rates to fight persistent inflation, impacting everyday consumer purchasing power.

compare standard of living in Russia to Nato countries - Google Search