NATO Countries Believe Russia Could Attack Them. Trump Is Not Concerned.

President Donald Trump said he's not worried about Russia attacking NATO countries despite concerns from some of them.

"There is no problem," Trump said in a brief conversation with Axios. He went on to say that the unannounced visit from CIA Director John Ratcliffe was "standard business."

"Ratcliffe sees his Russian counterpart once every six months or once every year. They have a very good relationship. There was no message and there was nothing unusual," he added.

Asked if the U.S. had delivered a warning to counterpart Vladimir Putin, Trump didn't comment but claimed Moscow is "not going to attack NATO territory."

The remarks stand in contrast with reports claiming that Ratcliffe's trip in fact sought to convey such a warning.

CBS News detailed that Ratcliffe also discussed the war in Iran, saying there would be additional sanctions if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened soon.

The trip took place after Different NATO countries said they are taking measures to protect critical infrastructure against a Russian false flag attack that could be used to justify an attack.

Reuters detailed earlier this month that Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Estonia have made claims of such nature. The former said Moscow is considering the stage attack and the other three warned of acts of sabotage.

"We are not naive, we see the information, we read between the lines and we are doing our homework," Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas told the outlet.

"We are increasing the security of our critical infrastructure, we constantly exchange information with our intelligence on what to do next," he added.

The outlet went on to note that Lithuania sent a military unit to back up riot police and secure its liquefied natural gas import terminal, one for oil products, a key power link with Poland and a hydro plant. "We are clearly signaling that, if needed, we will be defending ourselves", Kaunas said.

Another recent report claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering a limited assault on a NATO country to test the alliance.

The assessment from U.S. intelligence officials claimed such a scenario could take place in the next few years, with another possibility being a cyberattack.

The Wall Street Journal detailed in early August that previous assessments believed that Putin wouldn't make such a decision while still fighting in Ukraine, but the thinking changed earlier this year as the war continues and Kyiv manages to strike deep into Russian territory and inflict damage on its oil industry while keeping the front lines largely unchanged.

The goal of attacking a NATO country, the report added, would be fracturing the transatlantic alliance. Such an attack could take place between this fall and 2029. The likelihood of it happening is low but grows as time goes by and Putin does not manage to make strategic gains in the war.