Trump Says Putin Will Not Attack NATO Territory
US President Donald Trump has said he is confident Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attack NATO territory, dismissing concerns about a possible escalation between Moscow and the Western military alliance. Trump also played down reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently travelled to Moscow to warn Russia against targeting NATO members.
Trump Says Putin Will Not Attack NATO
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he had held “good talks” with Putin and was not concerned about Russia launching an attack against a NATO country.
Trump later reiterated that assessment during a separate interview, saying he did not believe there was any immediate danger of Moscow moving militarily against alliance territory.
His comments come amid continuing concern among European governments over Russian military activity and broader security threats linked to the war in Ukraine.
Trump Downplays CIA Chief’s Moscow Visit
Trump also disputed reports that Ratcliffe’s recent visit to Moscow was primarily intended to deliver a warning against attacking NATO members.
He described Ratcliffe’s meeting with Russian Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin as part of routine intelligence contacts between Washington and Moscow.
Ratcliffe’s trip attracted significant attention because visits by senior US intelligence officials to Russia have become rare since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
NATO Continues Monitoring Russian Threats
US and European intelligence agencies continue to monitor alleged Russian sabotage, cyber operations and other so-called grey-zone activities across Europe.
Such operations generally remain below the threshold of conventional military conflict but can be designed to weaken NATO unity or reduce support for Ukraine.
Trump also said Russia had so far behaved relatively well regarding tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, while indicating that Washington would continue assessing Moscow’s relationship with Iran.
