The Wall Street Journal: CIA Director Visited Moscow to Warn Russia Against Attacking NATO Countries - Sarmad

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday evening that U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow this week to warn Russia against launching any attack on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states.

Citing U.S. officials, the newspaper reported that Washington is increasingly concerned that Russian President Vladimir Putin may seek to test NATO’s readiness to defend one of its members through a limited attack that could involve the Baltic states.

According to the report, the scenarios Washington fears range from cyberattacks and limited escalation activities to a short-term military incursion into the territory of a NATO ally.

During his visit on Tuesday, Ratcliffe also discussed the issue of war with Iran, warning of additional sanctions if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened to navigation, as reported by CBS News citing informed sources.

Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence officials during his visit but did not meet with Putin, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov added that the Russian president received a briefing on the outcomes of the talks.

For his part, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday in an interview with Glenn Beck’s talk show that the CIA director’s visit to Russia might yield results.

Ratcliffe, one of Trump’s closest aides, is the latest high-ranking U.S. official to visit Moscow, following several trips by U.S. President’s envoy for Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Steve Witkoff.

The last known visit by a U.S. CIA director to the Russian capital occurred when Ratcliffe’s predecessor, William Burns, held talks with Putin in November 2021, three months before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.