FBI director Kash Patel is planning to visit Russia in mid-October at a time when Washington and Moscow continue to be at odds over the war in Ukraine, Politico reported, calling any such planned visit from the FBi chief as “unusual and sensitive”. Patel has a history of involvement in controversial Russia-related matters dating to President Donald Trump’s first term, including trying to cast doubt on investigations into whether Trump colluded with Russia to help him win the 2016 election and Patel also is developing a track record of taking eye-catching trips in his role atop the FBI, drawing scrutiny from Congress, the report said.Reacting to the news, a Kremlin-friendly newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets said the FBi director better not come empty-handed if he is coming to ask a favor. “It’s assumed that Russia has some kind of dirt on the Democrats, and we could provide it, in one form or another, to the American side,” Vladimir Vasiliev of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Arbatov Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies told the newspaper, speculating on the possible reasons for Patel’s visit.Vasiliev works closely with the Russian International Affairs Council, overseen by President Vladimir Putin’s top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov, as the chairman of the board. “At the same time, the Americans might also have something to share, seeing as the Russian side could ask, ‘What do we get in return? or inquire, ‘What do you have to say about this or that issue?’” he asked.
What we know about Kash Patel’s planned Russia visit
Politico cited US officials familiar with Patel’s travel plans and confirmed that Patel is scheduled to visit Russia on Oct. 14-15, first stopping in Moscow and then St Petersburg.Patel’s host is likely to be the FSB, the Russian security service that is heir to the Soviet-era KGB.It’s not clear if Patel will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin or any of his senior political aides. Also unclear is what is on his agenda for discussion.Robert Mueller was the last FBI director known to have visited Russia, in 2013. Mueller was later appointed as a special counsel to investigate ties between the 2016 Trump presidential campaign and Russia, as well as broader Russian efforts to interfere in US elections.
