Trump: Putin will not attack any NATO country

Donald Trump says Vladimir Putin has no intention of attacking a NATO member state, while dismissing reports that the United States had sent Moscow a special warning.

“He will not attack NATO territory,” the U.S. president told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump’s reaction came following reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe, during his stay in Moscow at the beginning of this week, had asked Russian officials not to attack U.S. allies in NATO.

The U.S. president denied that Ratcliffe had traveled to Moscow to deliver any special message from Washington. He said the CIA director holds regular meetings with his Russian counterpart and that the latest visit was part of routine contacts.

Ratcliffe’s visit was reported at a time when tensions between Russia and NATO countries have increased, while Moscow has issued direct warnings to several member states of the alliance.

Most recently, Russia’s Foreign Ministry also warned the United Kingdom that it could retaliate against British military facilities, both in Ukraine and outside Ukrainian territory.