'I know him very well': Trump says Putin won't attack NATO territory
US President Donald Trump said at a White House briefing that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not intend to attack NATO countries. He also said his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are heading to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal to end the war in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump told reporters at a White House briefing that he does not expect Russia to attack NATO member states.
A reporter brought up Germany's accusation that Russia had orchestrated sabotage at Leipzig Airport and asked whether such actions could be considered an attack on NATO.
"I don't think that Putin will be... I speak to him. I know him very well. Putin's not looking to attack NATO territory," Trump said.
Envoys traveling to Moscow and Kyiv
Trump added that his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are traveling to Moscow and Kyiv carrying a proposal aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
European officials' assessment
In late August, Bloomberg reported that European officials are confident there is no evidence Russia is preparing an attack on NATO or the Baltic states. They doubted that this issue could have been the central topic of CIA Director John Ratcliffe's August 25 visit to Moscow. US media had previously reported that Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow specifically to warn the Kremlin against attacking NATO countries — particularly Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
