FBI refutes media report claiming Kash Patel is in Russia for talks, says he is in Virginia

The FBI on Wednesday denied a US media report claiming that its director, Kash Patel, was visiting Russia, insisting that he was attending an event at a university in Virginia. US news broadcaster MS Now reported that Patel had arrived in Russia for a scheduled meeting just weeks before the crucial US midterm elections. The report cited two people familiar with the matter.

However, the FBI rejected the report in a post on X, saying, “Here's where Kash Patel actually is...Liberty U, doing a law enforcement appreciation event.” A video published on YouTube on Wednesday by an ABC affiliate showed Patel participating in a panel discussion at the Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Virginia. The dispute comes amid renewed tensions over the war in Ukraine and President Donald Trump's approach to negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Also Read: US judge blocks Trump administration sanctions on human rights groups supporting Gaza war crimes investigation

Trump recently said Putin wanted to reach a deal to end the war, while accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of resisting a compromise. Trump has repeatedly criticized Zelensky, a prominent pro-Western leader in Europe, and has even suggested that he should be replaced as president. At the same time, Trump has frequently refrained from criticizing Putin, a position that has sometimes put him at odds with members of his own Republican Party as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukraine.

Last week, Trump angered European allies of Ukraine after news emerged of a deal to purchase heavily sanctioned Russian diesel to help reduce domestic fuel prices. The issue has drawn attention ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections. On Tuesday, 12 Republican and Democratic senators called on Trump to abandon the deal, describing it as a betrayal of Ukraine and warning that it could help finance Moscow's war effort. Speculation about a possible visit by Patel to Moscow has circulated since Politico reported in July that the FBI director was planning a trip to Russia, potentially in mid-October. The report cited people familiar with the plans.

Last week, The Atlantic reported that a quiet effort was under way within the FBI to stop the trip, with two senior House Democrats also opposing the proposed visit. In August, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unusual visit to Moscow. US media reports suggested that the trip was intended, at least in part, to warn Russia against launching an attack on NATO.