US President Donald Trump told Axios in a phone interview on Thursday that he is not concerned about a possible attack by Russia on NATO countries.
The statement comes amid growing concern among European leaders, who have publicly warned that Moscow may test NATO‘s resolve and Trump‘s willingness to uphold Article 5 — the Alliance’s collective defense clause — through a limited attack or other military provocations.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a secret visit to Moscow on Tuesday, where he met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Naryshkin. Several media outlets reported that the purpose of Ratcliffe’s trip was to warn Moscow against attacking a NATO country. However, Trump denied these reports in his conversation with Axios, stating that Ratcliffe did not convey such a warning to Moscow.
“I’m not at all concerned… there are no problems,” said Trump, responding to a question about a possible Russian provocation against NATO countries.
The president described Ratcliffe’s trip as “a routine matter” and expressed surprise at media reports about its alleged purpose. “Ratcliffe meets with his Russian counterpart every six months or once a year. They have a very good relationship. No message was sent, and there was nothing unusual about it,” he added.
About two hours later, journalists again asked Trump whether the US had conveyed a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding possible attacks on NATO countries. He said he did not want to comment on the matter but added: “They are not going to attack NATO territory.”
Statements from Russia and Ukraine
For his part, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin confirmed on Thursday that he had met with Ratcliffe during his visit to Moscow. According to Naryshkin, the talks were “part of their regular work” and “there was nothing unusual.” He also said the parties discussed “intelligence issues.”
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios in July that Putin plans a large‑scale mobilization of 500,000 military personnel in the coming months for a new offensive in Ukraine. Zelensky added that Russia is also building infrastructure to accommodate 30,000 additional troops from North Korea, which are intended to be sent to fight in Ukraine.
In recent weeks, Russian drones that entered the airspace of several NATO member countries, including Romania and Poland, have been shot down.
On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Britain and France are “playing with fire” by supplying technologies that enable Ukraine to conduct long‑range strikes deep into Russia. A ministry spokesperson also warned of strikes on British military targets in Ukraine and beyond in response to London’s military aid to Kyiv.
Source: Axios
