Kremlin dismisses NATO attack reports as 'scare-stories'

The Kremlin has dismissed recent US media reports suggesting Russia could attack a NATO member state, describing them as baseless 'scare-stories' that have no connection to reality.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the remarks on Thursday while responding to questions about the reports, which also claimed that CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow this week was intended to warn Russia against such a move.

"A lot of this kind of scare-story material is being published right now," Peskov said. "Of course, it has nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation."

Earlier on Thursday, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service confirmed he had held a "working-level meeting" with Ratcliffe. The two discussed unspecified sensitive matters within the remit of their respective intelligence agencies, according to the Russian official.

The US media reports have not been independently verified, and the Kremlin's denial marks the latest exchange in a series of tense interactions between Moscow and Washington.