WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Vladimir Putin is “not going to attack” NATO territory, pushing back against media reports that Washington is concerned about a possible Russian move on Europe.
Trump’s comments came two days after CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Moscow for surprise talks that the Wall Street Journal and CBS News had said was an attempt to dissuade Russia from attacking NATO members, amid US intelligence assessments that Moscow could seek to test the alliance.
Ratcliffe also used the trip, which wasn’t announced publicly, to encourage Russia to cut off economic and military support for Iran as the administration works to choke off Tehran financially.
American and European officials have grown increasingly concerned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could test NATO with a limited incursion, potentially on one of Moscow’s neighbors, as his war in Ukraine grinds ahead without resolution.
“I’ve had good talks with him. He’s not going to be attacking a NATO territory,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if the Russian president had agreed not to do so.
Asked to confirm the reports about Ratcliffe delivering a warning to the Russians, Trump replied: “I don’t want to comment on that, but they’re not going to attack.”
Trump also played down the significance of the Moscow talks, suggesting they concerned Ukraine and dismissed reports that Ratcliffe had raised NATO or the US campaign to pressure Iran.
“He’s there, very sort of semi-routine. I hate to disappoint people. We would like to see the war with Ukraine end,” Trump said in an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck.
Earlier on Thursday, Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin also downplayed the meeting with his CIA counterpart.
“Yes, the meeting did take place, but there is nothing unusual about it,” Naryshkin was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS.
The two had discussed “a number of issues that fall within the remit of intelligence services,” he said, describing it as “quite a delicate and special matter”.
Ratcliffe is one of the highest-ranking US officials to visit Russia since the war in Ukraine began in 2022.
His visit came as Moscow escalates its offensive, with attacks this summer driving up the civilian death toll, while US-brokered peace talks have stalled.
And in Brussels, a senior EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “European services in general do not see any risk of an attack from Russia to the European countries, and this assessment has not changed.”
“When it comes to any threat to European NATO members, we see no assessment of any of that being under preparation now,” she added.
Trump also dismissed the need to punish Russia for trading with their ally Iran, after his administration announced an “economic D-Day” targeting Tehran if it refuses to open the Strait of Hormuz.
“So far, I think Russia’s behaved quite well, having to do with the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Source: Saudi Gazette