Kremlin says reports of NATO attack threat are baseless

The Kremlin has dismissed reports of a possible Russian attack on NATO following CIA Director John Ratcliffe's recent visit to Moscow, saying the reports were "unfounded" and aimed at spreading fear. NDTV reports.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Ratcliffe visited Moscow this week to warn Russia about the United States' concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin might test the alliance's response by launching a limited military operation against a NATO member in the future.

The report also said that US intelligence agencies have assessed that such potential actions may not amount to a direct major military strike. It is believed that they could range from cyberattacks to limited ground operations.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence officials during his visit to Moscow, not with President Putin. However, he noted that Putin had been briefed on the content of the meeting.

On the other hand, US President Donald Trump described Ratcliffe's visit as "semi-regular" in an interview with radio host Glenn Beck. He later said regarding the war in Ukraine, "Some results may come from this visit. We are working hard to end the war and frankly, both sides want the war to end now."    
Trump also downplayed the possibility of a Russian attack on NATO. "I had a good conversation with Putin. He will not attack any NATO territory," he said.

However, when asked about these reports published in the US media, Peskov flatly rejected them. He said, "There are a lot of such scare stories being published at the moment. Of course, they have nothing to do with reality."

Ratcliffe's visit is seen as part of a recent series of high-level contacts between the United States and Russia.