CIA Director Flew to Moscow to Warn Russia Not to Attack NATO
John Ratcliffe’s rare trip to Moscow followed new U.S. intelligence assessments that Vladimir Putin could seek to test NATO with a limited attack on an allied country in the coming years.
CIA director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow earlier this week to warn Russia against attacking a NATO member, according to people briefed on the visit who spoke to The Wall Street Journal.
The visit comes after new U.S. intelligence assessments raised concerns that Vladimir Putin could seek to test the alliance’s resolve.
The previously unannounced mission marked Ratcliffe’s first publicly known visit to the Russian capital and came as U.S. officials assessed the possibility of a limited Russian assault on an allied country within the next few years.
Intelligence Raises Concern Over NATO Test
The new assessments suggested Putin could choose an operation calibrated to challenge NATO without immediately triggering a broader confrontation.
U.S. officials have considered scenarios ranging from a cyberattack to a small-scale ground incursion, with a Baltic country seen as a possible target.
The concern is that pressure from the war in Ukraine and domestic strains could shape Moscow’s calculations.
Western weapons shortages could also influence those calculations. U.S. inventories of some critical munitions have been reduced by transfers to Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion and by expenditures during the Iran war.
Ratcliffe Met Russian Intelligence Officials
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Ratcliffe held discussions with Russian intelligence officials during his visit.
He did not meet Putin, according to Peskov, although the Russian president was subsequently briefed on the talks.
The CIA declined to comment on the trip.
White House Plays Down Visit
President Donald Trump characterized Ratcliffe’s journey as “semi-routine” during an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Wednesday.
Trump then shifted attention to efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Something may come out of it,” Trump said. “We’re working very hard to get that war ended, and frankly, they both want to see it ended at this point.”
The White House provided no further explanation, referring reporters to Trump’s remarks.
Rare Intelligence Channel to Moscow
Ratcliffe, one of Trump’s closest aides, is the latest senior U.S. official to travel to Moscow as Washington maintains direct contacts with Russia.
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. envoy involved in Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations, has also made several visits to the Russian capital.
A CIA director traveling to Moscow remains unusual, particularly with the Russia-Ukraine conflict now in its fifth year.
The previous publicly known visit came in November 2021, when then-CIA director William Burns traveled to Moscow and warned Putin against attacking Ukraine.
