Lithuanian President Says CIA Director's Moscow Visit Achieved Goals of Reducing Tension

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated that CIA Director John Ratcliffe's unannounced visit to Moscow achieved its objectives, which were aimed at reducing tensions in the region. Nauseda noted that he had been briefed by the United States on the content of the talks, though he declined to provide further details due to an agreement with Washington. He expressed hope that the intended message reached the Kremlin in a timely manner.

The visit sparked global speculation because it was unannounced and official information remained scarce. Some US media reports, citing unnamed sources, suggested that Ratcliffe warned Russia against attacking NATO allies. The Kremlin denied these reports and blamed the West, while the US president also rejected that specific characterization.

Nauseda emphasized that the meeting was not accidental and served to convey necessary messages. However, he suggested that the event has received too much attention and stated that the general security situation, while tense, has not deteriorated dramatically recently. He warned that the Kremlin might feel cornered due to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory, which could lead to additional threats. In response to such risks, Lithuania has recently increased security measures at critical transport and energy infrastructure to protect against potential sabotage and hybrid attacks.