Trump confident Russia won't attack NATO, despite US intelligence concerns

Former US President Donald Trump has voiced strong confidence that Russia poses no threat to NATO territory, directly contradicting reports suggesting US intelligence agencies are concerned about potential Russian aggression. Speaking to reporters, Trump asserted his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not initiate an attack on a NATO member.

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He's not going to be attacking a NATO territory.

Trump's remarks came shortly after reports surfaced detailing a surprise visit by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow. This visit was reportedly intended to dissuade Russia from targeting NATO allies, amid assessments within the US intelligence community that Moscow might test the alliance. Trump, however, downplayed the significance of Ratcliffe's trip, characterizing it as "semi-routine."

Adding to the differing perspectives, a senior EU official stated that European intelligence agencies currently perceive no indication of Russia planning a military assault on European NATO countries. This assessment, the official noted, remains unchanged. The official's comments provide a counterpoint to the concerns reportedly held within US intelligence circles.

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European services in general do not see any risk of an attack from Russia to the European countries, and this assessment has not changed.

Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine continues, with Russia maintaining its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Russia launched a "massive" strike on targets across nine Ukrainian cities, including military facilities, industrial sites, and logistics hubs. Ukraine, facing shortages of air defense systems, has also engaged in strikes against Russian targets, including a Russian Tu-95MS missile-carrying aircraft at the Engels base, which Ukrainian officials identified as being used for strikes against Ukraine.

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These are the aircraft that are carrying out strikes against Ukraine.