Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Aug 28: US President Donald Trump has said Russian President Vladimir Putin would not attack any NATO member, playing down reports that Washington had warned Moscow against a possible military strike on one of its European allies.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump said he had held “good talks” with Putin and expressed confidence that Russia would not target NATO territory.

“I've had good talks with him. He's not going to be attacking a NATO territory,” Trump said when asked about the possibility of a Russian assault on a NATO member.

The remarks came amid reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a surprise visit to Moscow earlier this week. Reports by the Wall Street Journal, CNN and CBS News claimed the visit was aimed at warning the Kremlin against any potential attack on a NATO country.

According to the reports, US intelligence had information suggesting Russia could launch a limited assault against a NATO member in an attempt to test the alliance's response. The Wall Street Journal reported that such an attack could potentially take place within the next few years amid continuing tensions over Ukraine.

Russia, however, has dismissed the reports as alarmist. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described them as “scare stories” and said they had no connection with reality.

Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin also played down Ratcliffe's visit, saying the two officials discussed several issues falling within the responsibilities of their intelligence services.

“Yes, the meeting did take place, but there is nothing unusual about it,” Naryshkin was quoted as saying by Russia's state news agency TASS.

Ratcliffe is the second CIA director to visit Russia in the past five years. His predecessor, William Burns, travelled to Moscow in November 2021, just months before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The latest reports have renewed concerns over the possibility of the Ukraine conflict widening into a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO, although Moscow continues to deny plans to attack the alliance.