The head of the CIA flew to Moscow this week for an extraordinary meeting that raised fears Vladimir Putin could be planning a major escalation.
John Ratcliffe’s purpose in the Russian capital was to warn Kremlin officials not to attack Washington’s Nato allies, in particular the Baltic states on its border, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Politico reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The reports come as Moscow struggles with a stalemate on the battlefield in Ukraine and escalating drone attacks on oil refineries and other infrastructure inside Russia – raising concerns that Putin could seek to change the equation with a dramatic move.
Shorts
Ratcliffe’s visit came shortly after after US intelligence warned that Russia could attack a Nato country within weeks. The report indicated this would fall below the threshold of all-out war but could involve a small-scale incursion into a Nato state in Eastern Europe to test and potentially fracture the alliance.
