\n<\/p>\n
Reports by The Wall Street Journal<\/em> and CBS said Ratcliffe\u2019s mission involved deterring a potential Russian attack against a NATO member. US intelligence agencies reportedly believe Moscow could seek to test the alliance in the coming years.<\/p>\n The Wall Street Journal<\/em> reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be considering a \u201climited attack\u201d against a NATO member state in the next few years.<\/p>\n The White House has not commented on the reports despite a request for comment from Agence France-Presse.<\/p>\n Trump, speaking to commentator Glenn Beck, described Ratcliffe\u2019s Moscow visit as \u201csemi-routine\u201d, suggesting that discussions focused on the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would like to see the war in Ukraine end,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n According to US media reports, Ratcliffe also raised the war in Iran during his Moscow visit and threatened additional sanctions if the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen.<\/p>\n Trump, however, said the visit had nothing to do with Iran or alleged Russian threats against NATO.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was not there for any of the issues you mentioned,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n Talks Between Intelligence Services<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow for talks \u201cbetween intelligence services\u201d and confirmed that he did not meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n Peskov said it was too early to assess whether the visit would influence efforts to restore bilateral relations, which he described as being in a deep crisis.<\/p>\n He said no further talks had been scheduled at this stage, although he described the contacts as \u201cpositive\u201d and declined to reveal what the two sides discussed.<\/p>\n The last publicly known visit by a CIA director to Russia took place in November 2021, several months before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.<\/p>\n