Putin is testing NATO because he thinks the West will flinch

CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow this week comes as U.S. intelligence warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be prepared to escalate against NATO. Washington must use this moment to send a simple message to Moscow: Russia cannot attack the West from the shadows and expect the West to stay silent.

Ratcliffe's visit was the first known trip to Russia by a CIA director since William Burns visited in late 2021.

ANALYSIS: Why Vladimir Putin would be wrong to think he could undermine Western support for Ukraine by targeting NATO's eastern flank