Some White House officials unaware of CIA director's trip to Russia — media
CIA Director John Ratcliffe's trip to Moscow this week was so secretive that even some senior White House officials were not informed beforehand. The trip was personally ordered by President Donald Trump.
The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources, reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow this week was unusually confidential — several senior aides and military leaders at the White House who would normally be briefed on such a trip were not informed in advance. The news was also reported by "European Pravda."
According to the sources, President Donald Trump personally dispatched the CIA chief to Moscow without informing his trusted advisers about what message Ratcliffe was to deliver to Kremlin officials.
Secret flight from Latvia
Ratcliffe's covert trip involved flying to Moscow from Latvia aboard an unmarked military C-17 transport aircraft. Once news of the visit spread, several European officials reportedly scrambled to find out what was happening.
After learning of the trip, two European officials said the CIA director had once again emphasized to his Russian intelligence counterparts that the United States remains committed to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, under which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
The visit came amid recent intelligence assessments suggesting Moscow could test NATO's resolve within the next few years. On Thursday, President Trump told reporters he was not concerned that Russian leader Vladimir Putin might order an attack on a NATO ally.
The New York Times previously reported that during the secret visit to Moscow, Ratcliffe shared his pessimistic assessment of the state of Russia's war against Ukraine and urged the Russians to reach a deal before their military and economic position deteriorates further.
