Episode Details

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?

Punching Upwards, Episode 51 for 30 August 2026

Topics: Politics, War in Ukraine

🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS Feed

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!

See Also

* PU 17: Vlad vs. Vlad

* PU 7: Von der Leyen’s Paper Maps

* PU 4: Drones over Denmark

Sources

* CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Moscow for meetings, sources say, ABC News, 25 August 2026

* Here’s why the CIA director traveled to Russia, CBS News, 27 August 2026

* Why Russia is expanding its war against Ukraine beyond the front lines, Deutsche Welle, 25 August 2026

* Why Ukraine is Ramping Up Its Aerial War Against Russia, The Wall Street Journal, 18 August 2026

* CIA Director John Ratcliffe makes unannounced visit to Moscow to meet with Russian officials, CNN, 26 August 2026

* CIA chief was in Moscow to warn Russia against attacking NATO and encourage cutting off Iran, CNN, 28 August 2026

* CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Russian intel counterparts on secretive visit to Moscow, Kremlin says, CBS News, 26 August 2026

* Pentagon weighs nuclear options amid China, Russia threats, The Washington Times, 18 August 2026

* Pentagon draws up new nuclear weapons strategy for war with Russia and China, The Telegraph, 5 August 2026

* Pentagon wants “expanding options” for nuclear weapons, officials say, Breaking Defense, 7 August 2026

* Tweet by Marjorie Taylor Greene, X, 16 August 2026

* The Pentagon Revealed Its Nuclear War Strategy and It’s Terrifying, Vice, 21 June 2019