The Director of the FBI may visit Russia for the first time in over ten years
Kash Patel, Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, plans to visit Russia this autumn. According to Politico, the trip is tentatively scheduled for 14 and 15 October.
Patel is expected to visit Moscow first, before travelling on to St Petersburg. According to the publication’s sources, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) may be the host organisation.
It is not yet known whether the itinerary includes a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin or other senior officials. Nor has the agenda for any potential talks been disclosed. The publication notes that, as with any such trips by US officials, these plans remain tentative and are subject to change.
The potential visit comes against a backdrop of continued tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russia’s war against Ukraine. Discussions are ongoing in the US regarding the imposition of new sanctions against Russia.
The White House advised journalists to contact the FBI for comment. Neither the Federal Bureau of Investigation nor the US Department of Justice responded to the publication’s enquiries.
Politico notes that Kash Patel has already attracted attention for his overseas trips whilst serving as FBI director. The publication also recalls his involvement in discussions surrounding the investigation into possible links between Donald Trump’s team and Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The last known FBI director to visit Russia was Robert Mueller in 2013. He subsequently led the special investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
