Vladimir Putin is a “cold-blooded manipulator” who relentlessly pursues Russian national interests – and he will never see Mr Donald Trump as a genuine friend, former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has warned. Mr Bolton, who was appointed by Mr Trump during his first term, was commenting on US efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine, with many analysts suggesting Putin is deliberately prolonging the conflict to exhaust opposition and gain a strategic advantage.
Speaking via videolink, the seasoned diplomat told Express.co.uk: “I first met Putin in October of 2001 right after 9/11 and met him any number of times since then. He’s a very cold-blooded guy, and he pursues Russian national interests. I don’t think they’re on a level playing field when he and Mr Trump get together. I was always happy just to have the discussions end without them agreeing to anything because it wouldn’t have been to our advantage most likely if they had.”
Mr Bolton highlighted what he regards as a fundamental mismatch between Putin’s seasoned approach to geopolitics and Mr Trump’s often improvisational style.
He explained: “Putin probably prepares for the meetings better than Mr Trump does, which would be easy because Mr Trump hardly prepares at all.
“Putin’s got decades of experience on these issues. He knows what he thinks Russia’s interests are and what he needs to do to advance those interests. Mr Trump just goes in and wings it. So, it’s not a fair fight.”
Mr Bolton warned that Mr Trump was grossly misinterpreting the situation with his apparent belief that he and the 72-year-old Russian leader were pals.
He said: “Mr Trump thinks he and Putin are friends. That’s not how Putin sees Mr Trump. That’s for sure.”
Such a belief shaped Mr Trump’s reluctance to confront Putin directly, even as Russia’s aggression escalates, Mr Bolton suggested.
He said: “Since Mr Trump thinks he’s talking to a friend, he doesn’t want to threaten him, he doesn’t want to break the friendship. He thinks maybe Putin will come to his senses.”
Recent comments from Mr Trump appeared to indicate confusion or frustration at Putin’s hardened stance, Mr Bolton acknowledged.
He continued: “In the past week or 10 days, some of the things Mr Trump has said, I think, have been efforts to put some distance between him and Putin. Mr Trump said, ‘I don’t know what the hell he’s up to. I don’t understand this.’
“Meaning, if it were the old Putin, who was my friend, we could have made a deal. But this is a different Putin. And he’s not the same person.”
Mr Bolton said his former boss also admired other authoritarian leaders, arguing: “Mr Trump likes and envies Putin.
“He’d like to be a big guy like Putin, and Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un, somebody who can just wave his hand and make things happen. He’s drawn to that kind of power.”
Addressing Mr Trump’s well-publicised bromance with North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, Mr Bolton said: “Mr Trump clearly wanted to be friendly. But in most of these conversations, he really doesn’t know much about the subject.
“He may say over and over again, ‘there’s so much killing, we’ve got to have a ceasefire.’ He can say that eight or 10 different ways, but it’s not a way to advance the ball.”
Discussing the war in Ukraine, Mr Bolton described Putin as “very self-assured” and focused on his objectives. He said: “It was always very professional. But you could see Putin working toward his objective and Mr Trump just having a nice conversation.”
Mr Bolton also warned that if Mr Trump cuts off military aid to Ukraine after withdrawing from diplomacy, it would mark a serious shift. He said: “If he cuts that off, that’s very serious. But if he simply stops diplomatic efforts and continues US assistance, then I think not much changes.”
Ukraine is ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday, a top adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday, after days of uncertainty over whether Kyiv would attend a further meeting proposed by Moscow.
However, Ukrainian officials have insisted that the Kremlin provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the more than three-year war, before the two delegations sit down to negotiate.
