President Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to exploit Trump and that U.S. policy has pushed India's prime minister closer to Moscow and Beijing.
John Bolton: Putin Exploits Trump Using KGB Training
In an interview with a British digital radio station, Bolton argued Putin had quickly read Trump and used that to his advantage. "I think Putin established a relationship with him in the first term. I think personally using his KGB training to assess people, to see their weaknesses and to exploit them," Bolton said on LBC's ‘Tonight with Andrew Marr.’
"I think he did it again in Alaska. I think Trump is likely to lose interest. I think there's some small chance he'll impose sanctions on Russia, but he sees failure here." Bolton also said, "I think Trump sees international relations through the prism of his personal relations with leaders," warning that a good personal rapport "won't protect you from the worst," he added.
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Leaders Converge In China, Stirring Western Anxiety
Bolton's comments came as more than two dozen leaders, including Putin and India's Narendra Modi, visited China at President Xi Jinping's invitation for World War II anniversary events. This gathering has stoked Western concerns about tighter coordination among Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang.
Tariff Strategy And Probes Keep Bolton In Focus
The former adviser renewed his critique of Trump's tariff strategy on Monday, saying it has undermined years of Western efforts to draw India closer as a counterweight to China.
Bolton on Tuesday took to X to state, "The White House has set U.S.-India relations back decades, pushing Modi closer to Russia and China. Beijing has cast itself as an alternative to the U.S. and Donald Trump."
Bolton's own profile has remained in the news too. According to a report by the Associated Press, FBI agents raided his home in August "on the orders of FBI Director Kash Patel" as part of a classified-records probe. Patel was sworn in as director earlier this year.
Bolton said he still hopes Washington will keep aiding Ukraine, "even if indirectly through Europeans," but cast doubt on Trump's pledge to end the war quickly. "That was obviously never going to happen," he said.
Photo Courtesy: Christopher Halloran on Shutterstock.com
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