Moscow has threatened to strike British military sites in response to Ukrainian attacks carried out on Russian territory with weapons supplied by London, Bloomberg reported. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned the response could concern “any British military installation” in Ukraine and elsewhere.

But yesterday evening President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House, said that “Putin will not attack NATO territory” and described his talks with the Russian leader as “good.” Trump also downplayed concerns that arose after CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow, where he met Russian intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin on Tuesday.

Several media outlets reported that Ratcliffe’s trip aimed to warn the Kremlin against striking NATO countries. Trump, however, denied that account, telling Axios that Ratcliffe did not convey any such message and calling the mission “a normal working engagement,” noting that contacts between the two services are routine and nothing unusual occurred.

Ratcliffe urges the Kremlin to negotiate

CIA Director John Ratcliffe, on a mission to Moscow last Tuesday, described the U.S. assessment of the Russian war in Ukraine as “grim” and, during a meeting with FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov, urged the Kremlin to “negotiate” a deal before Russia’s military and economic situation deteriorates further.

According to the New York Times, Ratcliffe delivered the message without threatening consequences if the conflict continued, though some officials believe his intervention may carry more weight than traditional diplomatic channels.

It is unclear whether the mission will lead to a change in the White House’s policy, but it is being seen as an attempt by the Trump administration to revive stalled negotiations. Ratcliffe reportedly told Bortnikov that, given conditions on the ground and economic pressures, it may be time for Moscow to begin serious talks to end the war.

Gallagher in Moscow: the Church must build bridges

Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican foreign minister and papal envoy to Moscow, reiterated the Church’s role as a peacebuilder and bridge-builder, invoking Pope Leo’s teaching on “disarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering.” In meetings with clergy and religious members of the Russian Catholic community as part of the peace mission, Gallagher emphasized that building bridges means acknowledging and overcoming divisions, hatred and misunderstandings. At the end of the visit he presided over a solemn Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception together with the country’s Catholic bishops.

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