Putin thinks Trump is 'weakened' by Iran war and may exploit it in Ukraine, CIA chief warns in Moscow
Russia's defence ministry boasted the overnight barrage was "massive," hitting ports, grain storage, energy sites and industrial infrastructure with ballistic missiles and 258 drones.
CIA director John Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow this week and warned Putin against banking on US distraction over the Iran conflict to ramp up aggression in Ukraine. Intelligence indicates Putin believes the Hormuz crisis has left Trump politically exposed, creating an opening to escalate. Zelenskyy confirmed the US briefed Kyiv on the Moscow meetings, and a senior Ukrainian official now expects technical peace talks to follow soon.