Sikorski recalled Putin’s promises made before the invasion of Ukraine (Photo: REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki)
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called for accelerating the country’s defense preparations, reminding the public that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has previously made — and later broken — a promise not to attack Ukraine, according to his post on X on Aug. 28.
Sikorski noted that Russian intelligence services apparently assured CIA Director John Ratcliffe that Putin would not provoke NATO.
“Putin had told President Biden’s CIA Director that he would not invade Ukraine,” the diplomat wrote.
Sikorski urged Poland not to delay and to speed up preparations against possible threats from Russia.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow
News broke on Aug. 25 that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had secretly traveled to Moscow. The same day, it was reported that the United States had asked Ukraine to refrain from striking Moscow, St. Petersburg and northern Russia for the duration of the delegation’s visit. The Wall Street Journal suggested Ratcliffe may have traveled to Moscow to deliver a warning to Putin, citing intelligence about Russian conscription preparations and a possible Russian test of NATO’s resolve.
Separately, The New York Times reported on Aug. 27 that Ratcliffe intended to convey a “grim” U.S. assessment of Russia’s military and economic prospects in its war against Ukraine during his visit. According to the Times, he was also expected to urge Russia to reach a settlement before its military and economic situation deteriorates further. The Times reported that Ratcliffe delivered his message to Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), and made no threats regarding possible consequences for Russia if Putin were to ignore the CIA director’s assessment and choose to continue the war.
On Aug. 26, U.S. President Donald Trump described the CIA director’s visit to Moscow as “semi-routine” and dismissed rumors that it was connected to a purported threat of a Russian strike on Britain.
Following Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow, officials in Estonia and Latvia said their assessment of the risk of a direct Russian attack on the Baltic states remains unchanged and low. At the same time, officials in Tallinn and Riga stressed the need to remain vigilant against the threat of hybrid attacks, sabotage, and possible Russian provocations.
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