President Donald Trump dismissed concerns that Russia could test NATO with an attack on a member state and denied reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow to deliver a warning against such a move.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is not worried Russia will attack a NATO member, rejecting mounting concerns among some European leaders that Moscow could attempt to test the alliance’s collective-defense commitments.
“I am not concerned … at all. There is no problem,” Trump told Axios during a phone interview.
Trump’s comments came amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO governments over the war in Ukraine, recent Russian drone incursions into NATO airspace and new warnings from Moscow directed at Britain and France.
The president also disputed reports surrounding a previously undisclosed trip by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow this week.
Ratcliffe traveled to the Russian capital Tuesday and met with Sergey Naryshkin, director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
Several media reports said Ratcliffe used the meeting to warn Moscow against attacking NATO territory.
Trump rejected that characterization.
He described the encounter as routine contact between the heads of the two countries’ intelligence services rather than an emergency diplomatic mission.
“Ratcliffe sees his Russian counterpart once every six months or once every year. They have a very good relationship,” Trump said. “There was no message and there was nothing unusual.”
Naryshkin gave a similar account Thursday, saying the officials discussed “intelligence matters” and that “there was nothing out of the ordinary.”
The meeting nevertheless comes at a time of growing concern among European governments about the possibility that Russia could attempt a limited military action or other provocation against a NATO member.
Such a move could test both the alliance’s resolve and the United States’ commitment to NATO’s collective-defense provision.
Those concerns have been reinforced by recent incursions involving Russian drones entering the airspace of NATO members, including Poland and Romania.
While those incidents have fueled warnings in Europe about a broader confrontation, Trump indicated that he does not believe Russia is preparing to attack the alliance.
The debate over Moscow’s intentions is also unfolding alongside reports that Russia may be preparing additional forces for the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios last month that Russian President Vladimir Putin was preparing to mobilize another 500,000 troops for a renewed offensive.
Zelensky also claimed Russia was constructing infrastructure capable of accommodating an additional 30,000 North Korean troops.
Those assertions have added to concerns in Kyiv and European capitals that Moscow is preparing for an extended conflict rather than moving toward a near-term reduction in hostilities.
At the same time, Russian officials have intensified their rhetoric toward European countries providing Ukraine with long-range weapons and military technology.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned Thursday that Britain and France were “playing with fire” by helping Ukraine develop the capability to carry out long-range attacks inside Russian territory.
A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also threatened possible retaliation against British military assets located both inside and outside Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly argued that countries supplying Ukraine with increasingly advanced weapons are becoming direct participants in the conflict.
Britain, France and other NATO governments have rejected that position, maintaining that their assistance is intended to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s invasion.
The combination of Russian threats, expanded Western military support for Kyiv and incidents involving Russian aircraft or drones near NATO territory has contributed to growing anxiety among European leaders.
Trump, however, offered a sharply different assessment Thursday.
His statement that he is “not concerned at all” suggests the administration does not currently view a direct Russian attack on NATO as an imminent threat.
Trump also sought to portray Ratcliffe’s Moscow visit as part of established intelligence-channel communications rather than evidence that Washington believed such an attack required an urgent warning.
For now, both Trump and Naryshkin are describing the Ratcliffe meeting as routine, even as relations between Russia and NATO countries remain strained by the continuing war in Ukraine and increasingly direct warnings between Moscow and European governments.
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