Russia's foreign spy chief confirms he held talks with CIA director in Moscow

Sergei ​Naryshkin, the head ​of Russia's SVR ‌foreign intelligence ​service, said on Thursday that he had held a "working-level ‌meeting" with CIA director John Ratcliffe in Moscow earlier this week and that they had discussed ‌unspecified and sensitive matters falling within ‌the remit of their respective intelligence services.

Naryshkin said the fact that they had met was nothing unusual. U.S. President ⁠Donald ​Trump ⁠has described Ratcliffe's visit - which came as the war ⁠in Ukraine drags on and as efforts ​to reach a lasting peace between the United ⁠States and Iran have stalled - as "semi-routine" and the Kremlin ⁠has ​been tight-lipped about what was discussed.

At least two U.S. media outlets have ⁠cited their own sources as saying Ratcliffe warned Russia ⁠not ⁠to attack any NATO member state. Neither Washington nor Moscow has ‌confirmed ‌that.