The Director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, made an unannounced visit to Moscow to warn Russia not to attack a NATO member state, amid new assessments by American services that Vladimir Putin might try to test the Alliance’s unity.
Ratcliffe also discussed Moscow’s support for Iran and warned that new sanctions would follow if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened to commercial navigation, according to several sources familiar with the discussions for CBS News.
The visit took place on Tuesday and was not previously announced by Washington. The presence of an American delegation became known after a US Air Force transport plane was observed landing at an airport in Moscow, and a diplomatic convoy passed through the Russian capital.
It was Ratcliffe's first known visit to Russia since taking over the leadership of the CIA.
The White House, CIA, Pentagon, and US Air Force initially refused to provide details. The Kremlin later confirmed that the CIA director met with representatives of Russian intelligence services, but not with Vladimir Putin.
Fears that Russia may test NATO
According to The Telegraph, the rare visit took place after American services assessed that Russia might attack the eastern flank of NATO in the coming weeks.
Information obtained by Washington indicates that Moscow could be preparing limited actions to test the Alliance's reaction, without necessarily triggering a full-scale conventional war from the outset.
Among the scenarios considered are cyber attacks, hybrid operations, and other actions that can be denied by the Kremlin, as well as a limited ground incursion into a Baltic state.
CBS News notes that the goal could be to test NATO's unity and, especially, the willingness of the Trump administration to defend an allied state.
Concerns have been heightened by a series of recent incidents, including the penetration of Russian drones into Romania, the entry of a Russian missile into Polish airspace, and the intensification of alleged sabotage acts and cyber attacks in Europe.
American service assessments also indicate that Russia has begun preliminary preparations for a possible new military mobilization, amid the deadlock on the Ukrainian front.
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states that an attack on a member state is considered an attack on all. However, Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the willingness of the US to defend countries that, in his opinion, do not spend enough on their own defense.
Ukraine asked to temporarily stop attacks
Ukraine was informed that an American delegation was due to arrive in Moscow and was asked to suspend attacks during the visit, a senior Ukrainian official told CBS News.
According to other information in the international press, Washington's request specifically targeted strikes near Moscow, St. Petersburg, and northern regions of Russia.
Ratcliffe's visit took place at a time when Ukraine intensified its long-range attacks on Russian energy and industrial infrastructure, while Moscow, in turn, increased drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Trump denies the version regarding the warning
Donald Trump confirmed the CIA director's trip but rejected both the information about the warning to Russia regarding NATO and the possibility that the visit aimed to obtain Moscow's support against Iran.
Asked by conservative radio host Glenn Beck about these hypotheses, the American president replied: "None of the above."
"He's there for something, you know, somewhat routine. I'm sorry to disappoint people. We would like to see the war in Ukraine end," Trump said, quoted by The Guardian.
"John Ratcliffe is a fantastic guy. He's the head of the CIA, and he's not there for any of the things you've talked about. Now, something might come out of this visit. We're working hard to end that war, and frankly, both of them want to see it end right now," added the American president.
Kremlin talks about "horror stories"
The Kremlin rejected on Thursday the information from the American press that Russia could attack a NATO member state, and that the CIA director went to Moscow to warn against such an action.
"A lot of such horror story materials are being published right now. Of course, this has nothing to do with reality and the intentions of the Russian Federation," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, cited by Reuters.
Also on Thursday, the director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, confirmed that he had a "working meeting" with Ratcliffe. He said the discussions focused on sensitive topics related to the activities of the two services, but did not provide further details. Naryshkin claimed that such a meeting is not unusual.
Peskov had previously stated that Ratcliffe did not meet with Vladimir Putin but presented the continuation of contacts between intelligence services as a positive sign.
"These contacts often continue even in the most difficult moments of bilateral relations," he said. However, Peskov warned that it is too early to talk about an improvement in relations between Moscow and Washington.
A similar warning ignored in 2021
Ratcliffe is the first CIA director to go to Moscow after the visit made by William Burns in November 2021.
Burns was sent by President Joe Biden to warn Putin that the United States was aware of Russia's preparations to invade Ukraine and to present the consequences of such an attack.
The warning did not change the Kremlin's plans. Russia launched a large-scale invasion in February 2022, about three months after Burns' visit.