CIA sends Putin chilling message in Moscow visit - 'don't attack NATO'

The CIA director visited Moscow and, according to sources cited by POLITICO, delivered a warning to President Vladimir Putin not to escalate against NATO—specifically targeting the Baltic states. The trip, which was not announced, also aimed to push Moscow to reduce military and economic support for Iran, sources said. Flight tracking data showed the CIA plane traveled from the US to Riga, Latvia, before continuing to Moscow. The previous CIA director visit to Moscow was in November 2021, when William Burns urged the Kremlin against invading Ukraine; Russian forces crossed the border three months later. President Donald Trump described this week’s encounter as “semi-routine,” saying “something may come out of” the talks. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said discussions were between intelligence services and there were no meetings with Putin. Ukraine’s intelligence says Russia could mobilise up to 500,000 people after next month’s parliamentary election as fighting continues over Ukraine’s Donbas region.