‘I think the whole thing is collapsing’: Trump humilated by Putin – and made chances of peace worse, ex-adviser says

John Bolton, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser during his first term, has been speaking to Sky News about the significance of the ongoing summit in China.

The gathering is widely seen as a reflection of the strengthened ties between Vladimir Putin and both India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s Xi Jinping.

Bolton, who is also a former US ambassador to the UN, said the developments showed the damage done by Donald Trump’s policies since returning to the White House.

“There’s a lot of bad news here, very little good news,” he said.

Trump has undone ‘decades of effort’ with India

“The West has spent decades, the US in particular, trying to wean India away from its Cold War attachment to Russia, buying sophisticated weapons from them, and cautioning India on the danger posed by China,” Bolton said.

“Donald Trump, in the past week, has essentially upended that. 

“And for a variety of reasons, now sent India back toward Russia to grow closer to China… shredding these decades of efforts to try and change that alignment.

“I’m not saying this can’t be fixed, but it’s going to take a lot of work, and I don’t see it starting anytime soon.”

He said Trump’s decision to dismiss what Modi perceived to be close negotiations with the US and order the imposition of 25% tariffs on India was among the factors that had offended the Indians.

‘Putin has gotten away – literally – with murder’

Discussing the impact of the Alaska summit between Putin and Trump and the prospects of peace in Ukraine, Bolton expressed a pessimism similar to that conveyed by Janis Kluge in our 10.30 post.

“I think the whole thing is collapsing,” Bolton said. “I think the chances for peace in Ukraine are probably worse now than they were before the Alaska summit.

“Putin has gotten away literally with murder. 

“Whatever he said to Trump in Alaska, he’s simply ignoring – with increased attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, no diminution in Russia’s military efforts, no concessions whatever.”

He said he believed Trump would now “disengage” from efforts to secure peace in Ukraine – and added that he believed the US president had been humiliated by his Russian counterpart.

“I think he has been,” he said. “I don’t think he realises it, but I think Putin believes that the old magic is back, that his KGB training has allowed him again to pull the wool over Trump’s eyes. 

“It’s working out very well for the Kremlin.”

Watch the full interview below…