Ratcliffe warned Russia not to attack NATO as Trump calls Moscow visit ‘semi-routine’
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unexpected visit to Russia this week, and now reports indicate he went to deliver a warning to Moscow.
Sources familiar with the matter told multiple news outlets that Ratcliffe delivered a clear message: do not attack NATO countries.
Politico reports Ratcliffe also pressed Russia to reduce military and economic support for Iran.
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A surprise visit
As Straight Arrow previously reported, the U.S. government did not announce Ratcliffe’s visit and has said little about it publicly.
The secretive visit first came to light Tuesday, when a U.S. Air Force jet was spotted landing at a Moscow airport, followed by a diplomatic motorcade through the Russian capital.
A senior Ukrainian official said Ukraine was given advance notice of the trip and asked to hold off on strikes while Ratcliffe was there.
The Kremlin also confirmed that Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence officials but declined to say what they discussed.
Trump calls visit ‘semi-routine’
U.S. officials said little publicly about the trip until Wednesday, when President Donald Trump confirmed the visit. He called it “semi-routine,” and said it had nothing to do with concerns about Russia testing NATO.
CBS News said the CIA declined to comment. The Washington Post also received no comment from the Pentagon or Air Force, while the White House did not respond to its questions.