WASHINGTON — The C.I.A. director, Mike Pompeo, pushed back on Thursday against suggestions that a visit to the United States by Russian intelligence chiefs had contributed to the Trump administration’s delay in imposing fresh sanctions on Moscow, saying in a letter that American officials “pull no punches” when sitting down with their Russian counterparts.

The meetings were focused on how the United States and Russia could better cooperate on counterterrorism issues, not sanctions, Mr. Pompeo said, noting that previous C.I.A. directors had had similar encounters.

“We periodically meet with our Russian intelligence counterparts for the same reason our predecessors did — to keep Americans safe,” Mr. Pompeo wrote.

The letter was sent to Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the top Senate Democrat, who had said it was suspicious that Russian spy chiefs were allowed to visit Washington and meet with Mr. Pompeo days before the administration declined to impose new sanctions on Russian officials and oligarchs over interference in the 2016 election.