The CIA director’s visit to Moscow this week—an unusual event—was intended to warn Russia not to attack NATO, as reported by several U.S. media outlets yesterday, Wednesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to downplay its significance.
The Wall Street Journal and CBS reported that John Ratcliffe tried to deter Russia from any attack against a NATO member country, while, according to assessments by U.S. intelligence agencies, Moscow may attempt to test the Alliance.
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The Wall Street Journal specifically reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin may launch “a limited attack” against NATO in the coming years.
The White House has not responded to a request from AFP for comment on the reports.
Trump, for his part, described the CIA director’s visit to Moscow a “semi-routine” visit during his interview yesterday with conservative commentator Glenn Beck, implying that its purpose was to discuss the war in Ukraine. “We would like the war in Ukraine to end,” the U.S. president emphasized.
During his visit to Moscow, Ratcliffe also referred to the war in Iran, threatening additional sanctions if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened, according to U.S. media reports.
Trump, however, assured during his interview yesterday that the visit was not related to either Iran or Russian threats against NATO. “He wasn’t there for any of the issues you mentioned,” he emphasized when asked.
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Talks “between intelligence agencies”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented yesterday that Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow for talks “between intelligence agencies,” adding that he did not meet with Putin.
Peskov noted that “it is still too early to say to what extent (this visit) will influence the process of restoring our bilateral relations from the deep crisis in which they currently find themselves.”
According to him, no further talks are currently scheduled, but he spoke of “positive” contacts, although he declined to comment on the topics discussed.
The previous known trip by a CIA director to Russia took place in November 2021, before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Source: Proto Thema
