- Zelensky met CIA director John Ratcliffe during a refueling stop in Shannon, Ireland, while en route to the UN General Assembly in New York.
- The private, small-group conversation followed Ratcliffe's recent rare visit to Moscow and came as US envoys shuttled between Kyiv and Moscow.
- Talks aim to help broker an end to Russia's invasion, though Moscow still demands full control of eastern Donetsk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met CIA director John Ratcliffe in Ireland while en route to New York, a senior Ukrainian official said Tuesday.
Zelensky arrived in New York on Monday evening to take part in the UN General Assembly, and to meet with US President Donald Trump as Washington steps up efforts to broker an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists anonymously, the Ukrainian official said Zelensky met Ratcliffe during a “refuelling” stop at Shannon Airport in western Ireland.
The meeting came less than a month after Ratcliffe made a rare visit to Moscow, where he met with Russian intelligence officials.
The official said Zelensky and Ratcliffe held a “private conversation” in a “small” group setting.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited both Kyiv and Moscow earlier this month, holding talks with Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
The trip marked their first visit to Kyiv.
While they hailed progress in talks, they did not announce a breakthrough in efforts to end Russia’s dragging invasion.
Russia has not eased its maximalist demands, with the Kremlin still seeking full control of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
