The War in Ukraine is escalating and both the US and Russia are increasingly talking about the use of nuclear weapons. Did DCIA John Ratcliffe fly to Moscow to address nuclear tensions?

Credits

Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it!

The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast — new media, new rules!

See Also

• Punching Upwards 17: Vlad vs. Vlad
• Punching Upwards 7: Von der Leyen's Paper Maps)
• Punching Upwards 4: Drones over Denmark

Sources

1. CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Moscow for meetings, sources say, ABC News, 25 August 2026
2. Here’s why the CIA director traveled to Russia, CBS News, 27 August 2026
3. Why Russia is expanding its war against Ukraine beyond the front lines, Deutsche Welle, 25 August 2026
4. Why Ukraine is Ramping Up Its Aerial War Against Russia, The Wall Street Journal, 18 August 2026
5. CIA Director John Ratcliffe makes unannounced visit to Moscow to meet with Russian officials, CNN, 26 August 2026
6. CIA chief was in Moscow to warn Russia against attacking NATO and encourage cutting off Iran, CNN, 28 August 2026
7. CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Russian intel counterparts on secretive visit to Moscow, Kremlin says, CBS News, 26 August 2026
8. Pentagon weighs nuclear options amid China, Russia threats, The Washington Times, 18 August 2026
9. Pentagon draws up new nuclear weapons strategy for war with Russia and China, The Telegraph, 5 August 2026
10. Pentagon wants “expanding options” for nuclear weapons, officials say, Breaking Defense, 7 August 2026
11. Tweet by Marjorie Taylor Greene, X, 16 August 2026
12. The Pentagon Revealed Its Nuclear War Strategy and It’s Terrifying, Vice, 21 June 2019
13. Joint Publication 3-72: Nuclear Operations, US Department of War, 11 June 2019
14. The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin, The New York Times, 25 February 2024
15. The Partnership: The Secret History of the War in Ukraine, The New York Times, 29 March 2025
16. CIA taught Ukraine how to target Putin’s Achilles heel, The Telegraph, 31 December 2025
17. General “Buck” Turgidson (George C. Scott) argues for a nuclear first strike in Dr. Strangelove

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