Trump downplays risk of Russian attack on NATO, calls Ratcliffe Moscow visit routine

The Kremlin has dismissed as "scare stories" US media reports alleging Russia might launch an attack on NATO, following a rare visit by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow. US President Donald Trump and a senior EU official also downplayed the risk of Russian aggression. The Wall Street Journal and CBS News reported CIA Director Ratcliffe had sought to dissuade Russia from attacking NATO members, based on US intelligence assessments that Moscow could attempt to test the alliance.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the reports as "scare stories" that have "nothing to do with reality." He reiterated Russia's stance on Ukraine, stating it prefers a peaceful resolution but continues its special military operation against Ukraine. Peskov also criticized Ukraine's European backers for their "aggressive policy" and Russia's demand for Kyiv to withdraw from its eastern Donbas region.

Trump claimed to have had "good talks" with Putin, adding that the Russian president "is not going to be attacking a NATO territory." A senior EU official in Brussels echoed these sentiments, stating that European services see no risk of a Russian attack on European countries. Earlier, Russia's foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin downplayed his meeting with CIA counterpart Ratcliffe, describing it as a "delicate and special matter."