Bloomberg: European Officials Skeptical CIA Chief's Moscow Trip Was Mainly About Warning Off a NATO Attack; Trump Says Russia 'Not Going to Attack'

Bloomberg reported August 28, 2026 that European officials are skeptical CIA Director John Ratcliffe's August 25 Moscow visit was primarily meant to warn Russia off an attack on NATO or a Baltic state, telling Bloomberg 'there is no evidence to suggest Russia is preparing for a conventional attack on NATO or a Baltic state.' Officials assessed the visit more likely addressed ending the Russia-Ukraine war, reaffirming NATO's Article 5 commitments, the Iran conflict, and moderating Russia's response to US sanctions touching Tehran and Moscow. None of the officials said they had been briefed by Washington on the specifics of Ratcliffe's meeting, relying instead on their own intelligence to interpret US intentions — the latest instance of the coordination gap between Washington and European capitals that has run through the year's NATO-US friction. Asked directly about potential Russian aggression toward NATO, President Trump told reporters: 'They are not going to attack.' Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian defense officials confirmed no change in their threat levels despite continued Russian hybrid activity — sabotage, drone incursions and airspace violations — against states supporting Ukraine.