Ratcliffe Warns Russia On NATO

CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly made a secret Moscow trip to warn Russia on NATO.

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Opinion | Would Putin Really Tangle With NATO?

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CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a secret trip to Moscow this week to warn Russian intelligence officials not to attack NATO countries, amid U.S. concerns Russia could test the alliance in the Baltic states. Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials, including Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service. The mission became public after a U.S. Air Force C-17 was spotted arriving at a Moscow airport. President Donald Trump called the trip semi-routine and said Vladimir Putin would not attack NATO territory.

Analysis & opinion

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Extraordinary MissionLeft & Center

Ratcliffe’s Moscow trip was not a routine diplomatic errand. Trump’s personal role and the secrecy around the mission made it an unusually significant move that cut around normal channels.

NATO EscalationLeft & Center

Washington had good reason to draw a clear line against any Russian move toward NATO. Even if Putin may be unlikely to seek a direct war with the alliance, the danger of escalation was serious enough to justify a firm warning.