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Podcast Episode

Why did the CIA director fly to Moscow?

Americano··2 September 2026·17 min

About this episode

Gus Carter is joined by Owen Matthews, the Spectator's Russia writer, to discuss John Ratcliffe's unannounced trip to Moscow, where the CIA director met Russia's foreign intelligence chief but not Putin. Owen runs through the possible reasons: Iran, a suspected Russian provocation against NATO, and the stalled peace process. They also discuss the sabotage campaign across Europe and the sanctions bill that could hurt Russia more than anything Trump has tried. Learn how to earn yield on gold, paid in gold, at Monetary-Metals.com/Americano Produced by Henry LloydBecome a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.