CIA director warned Russia against attacking NATO members during Moscow visit - report

Jerusalem Post/World NewsRatcliffe also discussed Iran while in Russia, telling intelligence officials there that additional sanctions would be implemented by the US if the Strait of Hormuz was not opened.Follow us on GoogleCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe attends a US House Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, March 19, 2026.(photo credit: REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo)AUGUST 27, 2026 04:42Updated: AUGUST 27, 2026 04:45CIA Director John Ratcliffe's recent visit to Moscow was for the purpose of warning Russia against attacking any NATO members, sources familiar with the matter told CBS on Wednesday.Ratcliffe also discussed Iran while in Russia, telling intelligence officials there that additional sanctions would be implemented by the US unless the Strait of Hormuz was reopened for shipping, the sources said.A source familiar with the details of Ratcliffe's trip told The Jerusalem Post that Trump administration officials asked Ukraine several days ago to pause any strikes against Moscow and other cities from Monday through Wednesday.Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on economic issues in Moscow, Russia, May 15, 2026. (credit: SPUTNIK/MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/ VIA REUTERS)CIA director did not meet with Putin during Moscow visit, Kremlin claimsRatcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials during his visit to Moscow, but did not meet President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin had been briefed on the outcome of Ratcliffe's talks, but declined to provide further details.Peskov said it was also too early to say whether such contacts between the two countries' intelligence agencies could help pull US-Russia relations out of what he described as a "deep crisis."Reuters, Jerusalem Post Staff, and Amichai Stein contributed to this report.Follow us on Google