Trump speaks out on CIA chief's Moscow visit
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
The unexpected visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow sparked a wave of speculation about its purpose, but US President Donald Trump rejected the most sensational theories about the trip, according to his phone interview with journalist Glenn Beck.
Trump said that the CIA director's visit to Russia is semi-routine in nature. According to him, the trip is not related to speculation about possible Kremlin actions against NATO countries.
"He’s there, you know, in a sort of semi-routine. I hate to disappoint people. We would like to see the war with Ukraine end. That's the war that would never have started if I were president," the US president said.
Earlier, numerous different theories emerged about Ratcliffe's stay in Moscow. There was speculation that Russia might be testing NATO's resolve. Other possibilities even included speculation about a possible strike on the United Kingdom.
Trump rejected such scenarios and said they do not explain the CIA director's trip.
Lithuania knew about the visit
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda confirmed that Vilnius knew in advance about the planned visit of the CIA chief to Moscow.
"Yes, we knew," Nausėda said during a press conference with European Council President António Costa.
He refused to disclose the content of the meeting, emphasizing that it is primarily a matter of negotiations between the parties.
According to Nausėda, partners told Lithuania that information about the meeting, its goals and content would be provided in the near future.
The Lithuanian president suggested that the talks could have been aimed at reducing geopolitical tensions in the region.
"I can only assume that this meeting is indeed aimed at reducing geopolitical tensions in our region, and this makes me feel positive," Nausėda said.
