BRUSSELS: European intelligence agencies see no sign that Russia is planning a military attack on European NATO countries, a senior EU official said Thursday, after US reports that the head of the CIA had warned Moscow not to strike the alliance.
Multiple US outlets reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe sought during a visit to Moscow to dissuade Russia from such an attack. The Wall Street Journal reported it might seek to test NATO with a "limited assault" within a few years.
A senior EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, played down the notion of an imminent risk.
"European services in general do not see any risk of an attack from Russia to the European countries, and this assessment has not changed," said the official.
"When it comes to any threat to European NATO members, we see no assessment of any of that being under preparation now," she added.
But she also said there was no doubt "Russia is trying actively to create difficulties for our countries," with the European Union steadfastly backing Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022.
"This escalation by Russia is clearly there," she said.
The EU has long called out what it considers "hybrid warfare" by Russia.
It has blamed Moscow for a lengthening list of incidents from drone incursions and cyberattacks to disinformation and political meddling, with eastern member states the most exposed.
"What we see is these hybrid and then not-so-hybrid attacks, which are continuing—and our assumption is that those will continue," said the official.
The Kremlin on Thursday dismissed as "scare stories" the reports on possible preparation for a military attack on Europe.