Trump dismisses fears Putin could attack Nato territory

US President Donald Trump dismissed concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin might launch an attack on NATO territory, despite reports suggesting Washington had warned Moscow against such a move. Trump made the statement to reporters at the White House after learning that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had visited Russia, sparking speculation about potential tensions.

The Wall Street Journal and CBS News reported Ratcliffe sought to dissuade Russia from testing NATO, with a Wall Street Journal source suggesting Putin could launch a limited assault on the alliance within a few years. Trump told reporters: "I don't want to comment on that, but they're not going to attack." The last known call between Trump and Putin was in June, and their last in-person meeting was a summit in Alaska a year ago that failed to produce a breakthrough on Ukraine.

Ratcliffe's visit also covered the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, but Trump downplayed the need to punish Russia for trading with Tehran, stating, "So far, I think Russia's behaved quite well, having to do with the Strait of Hormuz." The Kremlin and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the reports as "scare stories," stating they have nothing to do with reality.

Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin also downplayed the meeting, describing it as "quite a delicate and special matter." European officials downplayed the threat of a Russian assault on NATO, stating there is no risk of an attack from Russia to European countries.