"Trump thinks Putin is his friend. He trusts him" (J. Bolton)

According to John Bolton, the former National Security Advisor to Donald Trump from 2018 to 2019 during his first term, Putin knows how to manipulate the American President.

"Putin thinks that Trump is an easy target. And as a former KGB agent, Putin knows exactly how to manipulate him, and I think that's what he's been doing since the start of the terms, if not before," he explained in an interview with the Kiev Independent.

The memoirs of the former advisor Bolton published in 2020, "The Room Where It Happened", offer a candid account of the tumultuous turn his working relationship with Trump took, highlighting his concerns about Trump's ability to lead effectively, including his impulsive decisions on complex policy issues and his lack of understanding of the importance of a strong American foreign policy.

"Trump believes Putin. In recent weeks he has said: 'Putin says he wants peace and I trust him. I think that if he didn't want peace, he would tell me.' This gives you a good idea of how he sees Putin."

(MH with D. Rodriguez - Source: Kiev Independent - Photo: ©DPA - Newscom - David Silpa)