CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly travelled to Moscow this week to warn Russia against launching an attack on any NATO member, according to US media reports, despite President Donald Trump describing the unusual visit as largely routine.
The Wall Street Journal and CBS News reported that Ratcliffe’s mission included an effort to discourage Moscow from testing the alliance, citing US intelligence assessments that Russia could potentially seek to challenge NATO’s resolve.
The Journal reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin could consider a limited assault against the military alliance within the next few years. The White House did not immediately respond to several requests for comment on the reports.
Trump, meanwhile, sought to play down the significance of Ratcliffe’s trip to Moscow on Tuesday. Speaking to conservative radio host Glenn Beck, he described the visit as “semi-routine” and said the administration remained focused on bringing the war in Ukraine to an end.
Ratcliffe is among the most senior US officials to visit Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His trip comes as Russian attacks have intensified this summer, contributing to rising civilian casualties, while US-led efforts to broker a peace agreement have made little progress.
During the Moscow visit, Ratcliffe also reportedly raised the conflict involving Iran and warned that Washington could impose further sanctions if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume, CBS News reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.
The Kremlin confirmed that Ratcliffe held “contacts” with Russia’s intelligence services but said he did not meet Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian president had been informed about the discussions, although he declined to say whether the war in Ukraine was discussed.
Peskov described communication between intelligence agencies as a positive development, but said it was too early to determine whether the talks would influence efforts to resolve wider tensions between Washington and Moscow.
Ratcliffe’s visit also echoes a previous CIA mission to Moscow. In November 2021, then-CIA Director William Burns travelled to Russia and warned officials against invading Ukraine. Moscow launched its full-scale invasion several months later.
The CIA has also played a role in negotiations involving Russia, including prisoner exchanges, with the agency involved in a major swap in 2024.
The Ukraine war has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, while Moscow continues to demand control over additional parts of eastern Ukraine and maintain its hold over Crimea.
Trump rejected suggestions that Ratcliffe’s trip was primarily focused on NATO’s security or Washington’s campaign to increase economic pressure on Iran, saying that other developments could emerge from the discussions.
“We’re working very hard to get that war ended,” Trump told Beck, adding that he believed both Russia and Ukraine wanted the conflict to end.
The reported warnings to Moscow come as Washington attempts to balance efforts to end the Ukraine war with growing concerns over Russia’s longer-term intentions towards NATO, adding another layer of uncertainty to already strained US-Russia relations.
