U.S. publication Politico's anonymous sources said the "meeting was primarily to warn Russia against any escalatory action against the Baltic states."

Spokespeople for the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian embassies in Washington declined to comment, Politico added.

Additionally, Ratcliffe also used the trip "to press Russia to reduce military and economic support for Iran," Politico wrote.

The Wall Street Journal published a similar story on Thursday and wrote the meeting was to warn Russia not to attack NATO, but did not mention a specific country.

"U.S. officials are concerned that Putin, squeezed in Ukraine and under pressure at home, could launch an assault ranging from a cyberattack to a small-scale land incursion, likely on a Baltic nation," it said in context.

A wave of speculation has followed the trip, as no information was given about the meeting's content and it was not announced before it took place.

The last time a CIA director visited Russia was late 2021, three months before Russia invaded Ukraine, to warn Moscow not to do so. This has led to speculation that a similar situation might be occurring.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump said the visit was "semi-routine" and that Washington "would like to see the war in Ukraine end". He said he hated "to disappoint people", but that none of the rumors surrounding the visit were accurate.

Foreign minister: "Meeting not pivotal'

Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said on Thursday that Estonia's threat assessment has not changed.

"Throughout Russia's aggression against Ukraine, United States officials have met regularly with Russian representatives, so the CIA Director's visit should not be regarded as pivotal," Tsahkna was quoted as saying.

He added that Estonia is in close contact with all its Allies, including the United States: "We exchange information and work to ensure that Russia understands NATO's unity and resolve in defending its territory."

The minister added that it is in the interests of Estonia and NATO as a whole that Russia does not miscalculate when it comes to NATO's collective defense.

"The more clearly the Allies make it understood in Moscow that NATO's collective defense remains rock-solid, the better," he added.

He said NATO Allies have "taken significant steps" in recent years to strengthen collective defense.

"The best deterrent is a united and strong NATO and the clear understanding in Moscow that the Alliance is prepared to defend every inch of Allied territory," the minister added.

Latvia: Not the same kind of military threat as 2021/2022

Ratcliffe's plane also landed in Latvia during the journey, which has been seen by some as a message.

On Wednesday, Latvia's Chief of Defense Kaspars Pudān said there is currently no basis for talking about a similar scenario.

"If we rely on the facts and the information available to us, this is not the same kind of military threat as in Ukraine's case at the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022, when the previous visit took place," Pudāns told the Delfi news portal.

He did not comment on the reasons for the CIA chief's visit, saying he had no information and did not want to speculate. The chief of defense said the trip was coordinated with Latvia only to use the country's airspace.

Pudāns rejected claims that there were any signs indicating Russian plans to launch operations against NATO countries.

"If we had such signs, I would not be talking to you in the studio right now, but would be dealing with the mobilization of our forces," he said.

However, he agreed that Russia is carrying out hybrid attacks against Western countries to try and reduce allied support for Ukraine.

"For them, this may be the most effective way to eventually get out of this resource-intensive war. They are afraid that at some point they will no longer be able to lie to their public about victory or justify the decline in living standards," he said.

Lithuania: We knew about the meeting

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Wednesday he had been informed about Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow but declined to discuss the substance of the meeting, public broadcaster LRT reported.

"We knew about the meeting," the president said. "I would not want to discuss its content because, first of all, that is a matter for the parties to the meeting."

Nausėda added that Lithuania had been told that details about the meeting, including its purpose and content, would be shared promptly "probably next week."

The president said he believed the meeting was intended to help reduce geopolitical tensions in the region.

This article was updated to add a comment from Margus Tsahkna.

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