Aug. 27 (UPI) — CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s surprise visit to Moscow earlier this week was to warn Russia against attacking NATO allies.

Ratcliffe made his first publicly known trip to Moscow after a U.S. intelligence report determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin may order an attack on a NATO country, The Wall Street Journal, POLITICO and CBS News reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

The national intelligence assessment found that Putin may attempt to test the mettle of a NATO member within the next few years with a small-scale attack, land incursion, cyberattack or assault similar in scale. The most likely targets were reported as those on the Baltic Sea.

Putin’s decision to strike has also been influenced, reportedly, by the United States diminishing its stockpiles fighting the war in Iran. This has left NATO allies vulnerable to potential aggression by Moscow.

If an attack on a NATO ally were to happen, Article 5 of its charter states that an attack on one member is an attack on all and all members would be expected to respond.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Kremlin, told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday that Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence officials but did not meet with Putin.

The White House has not officially commented on the reports on the substance of Ratcliffe’s meeting with Russian officials.

President Donald Trump, however, told radio host Glenn Beck on Wednesday that Ratcliffe’s trip was “semi-routine” and that the United States is “working very hard” to end the war in Ukraine.

The CIA declined to comment on the reports.

Fighting between Russia and Ukraine has intensified with both sides launching frequent drone strikes on major targets in recent weeks. Russian drones have entered Romania and Poland over the last month. Russia has also issued renewed threats against countries that support Ukraine.

President Donald Trump looks on as Secretary of Education Linda McMahon speaks during a back-to school event in the Rose Garden of the White House on Monday. The event focused on education and the Trump administration’s education policies. Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo