He worked throughout the Middle East before joining a secret team that tried to obtain the release of Western hostages in Lebanon in exchange for arms sent to Iran.

John Ratcliffe’s meeting this week with a Russian intelligence chief was aimed at pushing the Kremlin to pursue a peace deal with Ukraine.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Officials were careful not to point a finger, after revealing what they said was a plan for a political attack, at a time when a series of destabilizing actions have been blamed on Russia.

© Bernd Von Jutrczenka/DPA, via Associated Press