It was, when you think about it, an extraordinarily thoughtful gesture.
American intelligence officials have apparently become concerned that Vladimir Putin may not be getting entirely accurate information from the people around him.
One can understand the problem.
Delivering unpleasant news to an authoritarian leader has never been regarded as the surest route to a comfortable retirement. In Russia, depending upon one's occupation and elevation above street level, it may also encourage an entirely reasonable interest in windows that do not open.
So President Donald Trump sent help.
According to The New York Times, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled secretly to Moscow this week to meet with Aleksandr Bortnikov, head of Russia's FSB intelligence service. Ratcliffe carried a rather unpleasant message: Russia's military and economic position is worse than Putin may appreciate, Ukraine is not giving up, and perhaps Moscow ought to negotiate before matters deteriorate further.
The CIA, the Times reports, has long wondered whether Putin's own advisers are giving him an honest assessment of the war.
Fortunately, the United States has considerable recent experience with this particular management problem.
Trump has spent years demonstrating his enthusiasm for personal loyalty and his rather more complicated relationship with information that contradicts what he already believes. His defense secretary has been busy removing senior military leaders. His administration has diminished much of the government's traditional diplomatic machinery. And officials throughout the government have had ample opportunity to observe what happens when inconvenient information encounters presidential certainty.
Indeed, the situation became sufficiently noticeable that I recently wrote an entire essay about it: The Truths Presidents Hear—or Don't.
Its subject was not Vladimir Putin.
It was Donald Trump.
Which makes Ratcliffe's journey rather remarkable.
The Trump administration has diagnosed the Kremlin with an organizational illness remarkably similar to one afflicting the White House—and has dispatched the CIA director halfway around the world to help the Russians treat it.
Perhaps Ratcliffe brought along a pamphlet:
So Your Advisers Are Afraid to Tell You the Truth
A Practical Guide for the Modern President
Chapter One: Remove people who disagree with you.
Chapter Two: Reward people who don't.
Chapter Three: Discover that reality has continued operating without your permission.
Chapter Four: Seek professional assistance.
There is something almost touching about one president worrying that another president isn't being told the truth.
And perhaps Ratcliffe's mission will help. Presidents need accurate information, particularly when deciding whether to continue wars that are consuming lives, treasure and national power.
But once Ratcliffe finishes helping Vladimir Putin repair his presidential information system, perhaps he could undertake another assignment.
It would be considerably closer to home.
The commute would certainly be shorter.
— Dunneagin
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