CIA Director John Ratcliffe met briefly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at an airport in Ireland on Monday while both officials were traveling to the United States.

The encounter occurred as Ratcliffe and Zelensky waited for their respective planes to be refueled, according to a person familiar with the meeting.

The two officials met at Shannon Airport, the source told The Hill. The person declined to provide additional details about the conversation, leaving the substance of the brief airport meeting undisclosed.

Ratcliffe was returning to the United States following a Sunday meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

Their talks covered several international issues, including the Iran war, intelligence cooperation, the Gaza ceasefire, the Sudanese civil war and Somalia.

The source described a wide range of subjects discussed by Ratcliffe and el-Sissi but provided no further account of their conversation.

After that meeting, Ratcliffe began his return trip to the United States and stopped at Shannon Airport while his aircraft was refueled.

Zelensky was also traveling to the United States when he crossed paths with the CIA director in Ireland.

The Ukrainian president was heading to New York City, where he was scheduled to participate in meetings with world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.

The meeting between Ratcliffe and Zelensky was first reported by Reuters, according to The Hill.

Although the encounter was brief, it brought together the CIA director and the Ukrainian president during separate trips that placed both officials at Shannon Airport.

The source familiar with the meeting confirmed the location and circumstances but did not say what Ratcliffe and Zelensky discussed.

No additional description of the exchange, its duration or its specific subjects was provided in the source material.

The Ireland meeting followed Ratcliffe’s trip to Russia last month for an unannounced session with Kremlin intelligence officials.

That earlier meeting brought the CIA director into direct discussions with Russian officials before his later encounter with Zelensky.

President Trump characterized the Aug. 25 meeting with Russian officials as “semi-routine.” Ratcliffe reportedly used the session to warn Russia against potentially attacking countries that are members of NATO.

A European official previously told The Hill that the United States had briefed allies about Ratcliffe’s meeting in Moscow.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the discussions involved sensitive meetings.

According to that European official, the Moscow meeting focused in part on Ukraine.

The official’s account connected Ukraine to at least a portion of Ratcliffe’s discussions with Russian intelligence officials, though no further specifics about that focus were provided.

Ratcliffe’s recent travel therefore included separate meetings involving Egyptian, Russian and Ukrainian leaders or officials.

The source identified discussions with el-Sissi, the unannounced Moscow session with Kremlin intelligence officials and the brief Shannon Airport meeting with Zelensky.

The meeting in Ireland occurred while Ratcliffe was returning from his talks in Egypt and Zelensky was traveling toward the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

Their aircraft refueling stop provided the setting for the short conversation, but the source offered no account of what was said.

Ratcliffe’s warning to Russia about a potential attack on NATO countries was reported in connection with the earlier Moscow meeting.

Trump’s description of that session and the allied briefing supplied the limited public account of the CIA director’s discussions with Russian intelligence officials.

For the Shannon Airport encounter, the confirmed details remained narrower. Ratcliffe and Zelensky met Monday while their planes were being refueled, and the person familiar with the meeting declined to elaborate on the topics addressed by the two officials.