According to the report, Ratcliffe’s trip was his first publicly acknowledged visit to the Russian capital. The visit came after new US intelligence assessments suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin could attempt to test NATO’s resolve in the coming years through a limited attack on one of its member states.
The newspaper reported that US officials are concerned that Putin, facing pressure over the war in Ukraine and domestic challenges, could open a new front. Such an escalation could range from cyberattacks to a limited ground incursion.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday that Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials during his stay in the capital but did not meet President Putin. Peskov said Putin had been briefed about the discussions.
The White House has provided little detail about the CIA chief’s visit. However, in an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump described the trip as somewhat routine and shifted the discussion toward the Russia-Ukraine war.
A White House spokesperson referred reporters to Trump’s remarks, while a CIA spokesperson declined to comment on the visit.
