Trump: Putin will not attack NATO territory

US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he had had good conversations with Vladimir Putin and that the Russian leader would not attack NATO territory. The remark came in response to a question about whether Putin had committed to refraining from such an attack.

When asked to confirm reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had issued a warning to Russian officials, Trump declined to comment directly but reiterated his belief that no attack would occur.

Trump also addressed the question of possible sanctions against Russia over its trade with Iran. His administration had previously declared a so-called "economic D-Day" against Tehran should Iran refuse to open the Strait of Hormuz. Despite this, Trump said Russia had so far behaved reasonably well regarding the strait, suggesting less urgency to penalize Moscow.

Warning over the Baltic states

Earlier reports indicated that CIA Director John Ratcliffe, during a visit to Moscow, had warned Russian officials against escalating actions toward NATO, specifically mentioning Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The website Politico reported this on Wednesday, citing two informed sources. One source said the main purpose of Ratcliffe's visit was to warn against escalatory actions targeting the Baltic states.