Lithuania’s security situation unchanged after CIA chief’s reported Moscow visit: President

Lithuania’s security situation remains unchanged following CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s reported visit to Moscow, President Gitanas Nauseda said Monday.

US media reported last week that Ratcliffe met Russian officials in an effort to dissuade Moscow from attacking NATO members. The CIA declined to comment on the reported visit.

Nauseda said Lithuania had been informed in advance about the meeting and was receiving information from its allies about the discussions, according to public broadcaster LRT.

“At this moment, I can say that the meeting addressed the goals that had been set. The meeting was aimed at reducing tensions in the region. I very much hope that this message reached the Kremlin regime at the right time,” he said.

The Lithuanian president stressed that the meeting had not changed the country’s preparations for potential threats.

“I generally think that a little too much attention is being paid to this meeting,” he said.

Although the contact was significant and such meetings were rare, it did not alter the broader security environment, Nauseda added.

“The overall security situation is tense, and nobody intends to deny that. Has it increased dramatically recently? I would disagree with that,” he said.

Nauseda linked the continuing tensions to Ukrainian strikes on targets deep inside Russian territory, saying they were “pushing the Kremlin regime into a corner.”

“As you know, a person – or any actor – cornered can always try to strike back and create an additional threat,” he said.

“That is what NATO and the United States are for: so that together we can first and foremost prevent that threat,” he added.