Kremlin denies reports of planned NATO attack and disputes CIA visit purpose

The Kremlin officially dismissed recent U.S. media reports alleging that Russia intends to attack a NATO member state and that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow this week to issue a warning against such actions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov labeled these claims as "horror stories" that bear no relation to reality or Russia's actual intentions. Earlier, the head of the Russian SVR intelligence agency confirmed a working meeting with Ratcliffe, stating they discussed sensitive and undefined professional matters.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking European Union official, speaking on condition of anonymity on Thursday, corroborated the Kremlin's stance by stating that European intelligence services currently see no indication of a Russian military threat against NATO members. While U.S. outlets like The Wall Street Journal and CBS had suggested the CIA visit was a pre-emptive deterrent against potential Russian testing of the Alliance, European officials maintain that their threat assessment remains unchanged.

In addition to these security concerns, the Kremlin announced plans to pursue legal action against the European Union to block proposals for utilizing frozen Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine. Moscow describes these EU moves as illegal acts of aggression, signaling a continued escalation in legal and diplomatic confrontations between Russia and Western institutions.