President Trump did not brief some senior White House officials ahead of the director of the CIA’s visit to Russia earlier this week, it has been reported. John Ratcliffe, the chief of the Central Intelligence Agency, flew to Moscow from Latvia on Tuesday in a visit that had not been publicly announced. Reports, though, of an unmarked U.S. C-17 military cargo plane flying into Russia that day quickly sparked rampant international speculation about the visit. U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal that Trump had sent Ratcliffe personally.
The message being given to the Kremlin by Ratcliffe was also not shared with military figures and aides who normally would have been briefed on such a trip. European officials told the publication that Ratcliffe had reiterated that the United States remained committed to NATO’s Article 5. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states that an attack on one NATO country would be considered to be an attack on all of its member states. On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed to reporters in Moscow that Ratcliffe had spoken with Russian intelligence officials during his visit. Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the talks but did not attend a meeting with Ratcliffe. Sources told The New York Times that Ratcliffe had visited the Russian capital to warn the country to agree to a deal ending its war with Ukraine before the former country’s economic and military position worsens.
The sources added that Ratcliffe had spoken with Ukrainian officials before meeting Aleksandr V. Bortnikov, the director of Russia’s intelligence service, the FSB. Ratcliffe also urged Moscow against “overreacting” if it is impacted by sanctions imposed by the U.S. on countries that do not cut economic ties with Iran, sources told Politico. He also pressed officials to stop sharing technology with Iran amid its war with the U.S. However, his meeting was "primarily" to warn Russia against attacking a Baltic state specifically, a source said. Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, the commander-in-chief dismissed concerns that Putin could launch an attack on a NATO country. “He’s not going to attack a NATO territory,” Trump said. Speaking on The Glenn Beck Program, Trump described Ratcliffe’s visit as “semi-routine.” “He’s there, you know, very sort of semi-routine,” the president said.
We would like to see the war with Ukraine end.” Asked if Ratcliffe had visited Russia over concerns that Putin planned to “test NATO resolve,” or gain cooperation with sanctions on Iran, Trump replied: “None of the above.” The Independent has contacted the White House for comment Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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