The head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergey Naryshkin, has expressed his willingness to meet with the newly appointed CIA director, John Ratcliffe, just two days following his confirmation by the US Senate. Naryshkin stated to TASS on Saturday that Moscow is always open to dialogue if Washington shows interest.

“We are consistently prepared for negotiations,” Naryshkin remarked when asked about potential interactions between the leaders of the two agencies. He noted that both intelligence services maintain communication through designated officials.

“We have an official representative in Washington, and the Central Intelligence Agency has one in Moscow,” the SVR chief mentioned.

Despite the ongoing tensions between Moscow and Washington, Naryshkin has consistently indicated his openness to engage with the CIA in recent years.

In 2023, he revealed that he had discussions with then-CIA director William Burns, covering topics such as the Ukraine conflict and the mutiny led by the late founder of the Wagner private military company, Evgeny Prigozhin, that occurred that summer. In May 2024, Naryshkin suggested that further discussions with Burns “cannot be ruled out.”

Ratcliffe was sworn in as CIA director on January 23, following Senate approval the day before. He previously held the position of director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021 during the first term of US President Donald Trump and served as a representative for Texas’ 4th congressional district in the US House of Representatives.

He is recognized for his critical stance towards intelligence agencies and has raised doubts about the investigations into purported Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Ratcliffe conveyed his belief in America’s capability to tackle the challenges presented by Russia and China.

This development occurs as both Moscow and Washington have shown a readiness to reinitiate direct communication, which had largely diminished during the administration of Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden. The US president recently indicated his desire to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon, stating he would do so immediately if the opportunity arose.

On Friday, the Russian president characterized his relationship with Trump during the latter’s first term as “pragmatic,” “business-like,” and “trustworthy.”