Vladimir Putin has already scored a big win before the doors even open at his summit with Donald Trump, former US national security adviser John Bolton warned, leaving other Western leaders “twiddling their thumbs” as the world watches. The summit is scheduled to take place in Alaska on Friday in what promises to be a high-stakes, closely watched meeting.
In many ways, the mere fact that it was happening at all represented a coup for Putin, Mr Bolton suggested. Referring to an angry post on Truth Social in which the billionaire branded him “dumb”, he told Express.co.uk: “It is a win. In fact, that’s what really sent Trump through the roof when he saw I said the fact that this pariah who leads a rogue state that committed unprovoked aggression against Ukraine has been brought out of purdah and given legitimacy on the world stage, and that is a big win for which he paid nothing.”
Mr Bolton painted a picture of a summit that could tilt heavily in Moscow’s favour from the outset.
He said: “It was interesting, the statement that Putin put out was was part of the manipulation of Trump at work. He said he thought the administration was serious and energetic in its efforts to get peace.
“I’m sure that warmed Trump’s heart. But then he went on to say we need to talk about a lot of things including strategic arms control between Russia and the United States.
“So he’s trying to open the aperture to get a meeting on much larger issues than Ukraine so that that can help get Trump back in the mood of you know, world leader talking to world leader about world leader.”
Mr Trump’s worldview makes him vulnerable in such encounters, Mr Bolton argued.
He said: “He said earlier today there’s a 25% chance of failure.
“Well, if you know Donald Trump, the world is filled with winners and losers. He’s always a winner. To say in one case out of four, he may be a loser, that that’s like unprecedented.”
The White House has framed the summit as a chance to stabilise US-Russia relations, but Mr Bolton suggested that Putin was a vastly experienced operator in such situations and would remain in control at all times, meaning there was no chance of a spat such as happened when Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Oval Office.
He explained: “I think Putin has a very effective weapon and he will do it without doubt, and that is even though he knows English he never, with with rare exceptions, speaks in English. He’ll speak through his interpreter. With Trump, you never can tell, but Putin will keep his calm.”
Analysts have noted that Western leaders are increasingly sidelined, unable to influence proceedings or pre-empt developments, despite Sir Keir Starmer hosting Volodymyr Zelensky at Number 10 on Thursday.
He said: “They’re twiddling their thumbs. I mean, this was another win for Putin.
“He gets Trump alone in person and they have to be content with a Zoom summit.”
Mr Trump’s approach, according to Mr Bolton, is heavily influenced by his own personal narratives.
He said: “Putin wants to try and use his KGB training to get Trump back in the mood that they’re friends and cooperate and he’s not a bad guy and it’s Zelensky who’s the bad guy.”
Despite the risks, the administration maintains the summit is a chance for diplomacy.
Yet Mr Bolton’s warning suggests that even before negotiations begin, the summit may already be shaping global perceptions.
As world leaders watch, the focus is on whether Trump can navigate the subtleties of Russian strategy, or whether the summit will cement a perception of Moscow’s dominance.
